A Mapped Life
by Pinkit
Summary: Why do parents always think that they know what is best for their kids? Will Han Tokugawa s choice for his daughters schooling bring along any side-effects? Read and find out how she fairs. story takes place in early 1970 s
1. We'll talk about it over dinner

I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.

I know that the first few chapters may seem they were written by a three-year-old, but please, please just give my story a chance and read until the fifth chapter, if by that time you do not like it, **I give you permission to flame me.**

Know without further Adue here is the first installment of ¨A Mapped Life¨

A Mapped Life:

_**Dear Diary: **_

_**Today Han otou-san took me to the park, we played on the swings and he brought me ice cream. It was nice to be able to see him after his long business trip. I turn ten years old tomorrow; otou said that he will send me to a good school now that he finally got me accepted. He said that it´s overseas and that I will get a better education. He also said that I need to learn English, because when I am older I am going to need to speak it. Well now Maeko-san is calling me down to dinner. I will write soon.**_

_**Love Izayoi**_

¨Iza-san! Iza-san! Come down to dinner, it´s not everyday you get to share the table with your father! ¨

Maeko Hirota, her nanny hollered up the wide staircase leading to her room. Iayois´ father looked down on the household staff calling her sister, or friend, he rather them call her Lady or Madame Izayoi, but ¨Iza-san¨ as she rather be called, at a early age of ten rather be addressed by anything but Lady, such mannerism still made her feel as she were playing house with Maeko – her nanny, Kimie – her daughter, Joseph-san her English teacher, Honoo – the cook, Yasou – the housekeeper, and Hyougo - the butler.

Maeko knocked on her door, and rattled the doorknob. Iza just laughed to herself and locked her diary.

Although the house was considered one of the finest in all of Okinawa, her father Han Tokugawa, thrived to have an extension built into the house, styled after a Western House, being sort of a living quarters for the English tutor Joseph Taylor, and Izayoi, just to make the transition from oriental to American easier for her, since after her mother died at an early age of six, he got the crazy idea to send her overseas to be taught as an American.

Maeko just ignored his comments harsh and demanding as they were, and insisted on letting Izayoi turn at least ten before sending her elsewhere to be schooled.

A chime wrung of in the corridor signaling that her father was sitting and waiting for her at the dinner table. Izayoi jumped off her bed, tripped on the rug, and stood up clumsily, Maeko knocked on the door again and called for a set of keys from Yasou; Iza ran to the door and opened it, gracing Maeko with a crooked smile, while she twiddled with her pigtails.

¨Iza-san, are you ready to go down to dinner? Your father is waiting, remember you must not keep him waiting…¨ Maeko rambled as she looked Izayoi over, ¨Dear girl, and what in Kami-sama´s sweet earth is that hairstyle?¨

Iza scrunched up her nose and replied ¨Why they´re pigtails of course! I´m sure papa Han will love them! ¨

She pulled Maekos ´arm and ran down the corridor, straight down the stairs, into the parlor and burst through the dinning room doors.

¨Konbanwa Han otou-san! ¨ She called as she ran up to her father and hugged him lovingly around the neck giving him a big, noisy peck on the cheek.

¨Good evening dear daughter, but I must say that I do not like you running around and jumping too and fro like that.¨

Izayoi settled on her chair on the right hand side of her father and unfolded the paisley printed napkin into her lap. Han observed his daughter out the corner of his eye, his lovely nine year-old daughter was wearing pigtails, a jean skirt a purple and white stripped tube top and matching socks. Han corked an eyebrow at her less than ladylike attire, clearing his thought as Honoo filled his crystalline cup with water.

¨Well my dear Izayoi, I see that you are taking after American culture just fine, just where did you get inspired in such original style? ¨

Iza raised her head and granted her father with the biggest smile he saw that week, ¨Why Pippy Long stockings of course daddy Han!¨

¨Very good Izayoi, prefect pronunciation! I believe you are ready to go to the Elizabethan Institute for Ladies already! Oh, it´s going to be so educational for you there will be English and history, and literature class, I´m sure you will enjoy it my girl! ¨ He said as he propped his hand on her shoulder.

Iza lowered her eyes to her hands, which now were clutching the napkin in her lap, ¨yes of course otou-san how could I forget the Elizabethan Institute? You have been talking about it since I turned seven.¨

¨Oh Izayoi, cheer up, for a young lady being sent off to learn at the best educational institute of this time you seem so sad, what´s wrong my dear?¨ he said as he raised her chin with his index finger. Izayoi blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall, as she mumbled back ¨I´m just sad about being so far away from Han otou-san, I am afraid of being away from home, I´ll miss otou-san and Maeko, and Kimie, that´s all daddy Han.¨

Iza swallowed the lump in her thought and flashed a small smile at her father. Honoo brought in a silver covered platter; he set it down in the center of the table as he uncovered it. Sweet and Sour Pork, her favorite, Jazmin Rice, green beans and carrot salad. This was what her mother used to cook when she was happy.

Madelyn okaa-san, what a pretty woman she was, with her pitch black hair, and deep violet eyes, and porcelain skin. Izayoi looks so much like her mother when she laughs, such a mothers daughter.´ was Hans´ final thought before Honoo served dinner.

Please tell me what you think, this is my first fic, I would be grateful if you review and tell me whats up:-)


	2. Mother Moon

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

Hey there! Here is chapter two, Enjoy!

**A Mapped Life:**

Maeko and Kimie looked gloom when Han-sama confirmed Lady Iayois´ journey.

Maeko knew that he wouldn't give up so easily, and he had kept his promise of at least letting Izayoi turn ten, before he sent her off to Boston.

Kimie cried inconsolably but there was nothing to be done, Izayoi would leave tomorrow after breakfast on a ship half way around the world to a far of place, were they couldn't share their experiences anymore.

Kimie cried herself to sleep that night, while Izayoi on the other hand was crouched underneath her four posted bed looking for a small heart shaped, red box.

¨Ah ha! ¨ she chanted triumphantly, ¨here it is! ¨

She pulled herself out from under her bed, then dusted of her pajama covered knees, then the dusted covered box, Iza opened the box revealing her mothers´ pictures, her engagement ring, and a lock of her hair tied with a piece of red lace. To other people owning dead peoples' hair might be considered creepy, to Izayoi it was her mothers´ essence, and to Han it was something she should always conserve.

Rumor around the mansion was that Han wanted Izayoi gone, so he could court foreign women, and re-marry, Iza just ignored the rumors true as they might be. She reached for her suitcase, packing the most important trinkets of her life, ignoring the rest of her clothes that would be packed by the maids. Some of it was already inside the trunks that would be shipped tomorrow also.

Izayoi curled on her windowsill with a quilt, and opened the curtains, a full moon out, she felt a warm smiled creep onto her lips, okaa-san always loved full moons, she said it always came out when she was happy, when she needed someone, when she was angry at the world…´ She hugged her knees to her chest, and laid her head on her knees.

_Okaa-san, if you can hear me now, I miss you mother, I miss you now more than ever,´ a sob escaped passed her lips as she closed her eyes, I´m sorry mother, I promised you I wouldn't cry, but I am, mother, I cry because I need you, and I need daddy Han, but he is sending me off to America to a boarding school, so I can learn he says, come with me okaa-san, come with me moon so I won´t feel so lonely´_

Izayoi wiped her tears from her face slowly and slid off the windowsill to walk towards her bed, curling up in the center of it, with her pillow and her quilt, she wore her mother´s engagement ring on her middle finger.

Little did she know that her mother heard every word, so did the moon.

-------

Please review!


	3. Forget me Not

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters**.

Hey there! Here is chapter three, Enjoy!

**A Mapped Life****: Forget me not…**

Next morning Maeko knocked repeatedly on the door to Iza´s room.

"Iza-san get up! Open the door Iza-san! It´s late, breakfast is about to be served, the car is already here koi, Get up!"

Iza rolled over and covered her ears with the pillow. The incessant knocking didn't go away, she mumbled some unintelligible phrases as Maeko managed to open the door and pull the warm blankets off her prone body.

"Izayoi Tokugawa, get up right now!"

Izayoi gave up trying to appear asleep, she rolled over and crawled out of bed, walked across her room into the bathroom, as Maeko drew her shower, after a quick shower, Iza walked back into her room covered in a towel to fin Maeko closing her cherry wood trunk.

"Maeko-san do you promise to take good care of Kimie while I am away?"

Maeko smiled and replied while not looking at her young mistress, "why of course my dear Iza-san, she is my daughter and as such I will take good care of her, and I will also take care of her because you want me to my koi."

Iza slipped on her underwear, followed by her white stocking, and her petticoat, Maeko turned around holding a knee length royal blue dress adorned with white polka dots, slipping it carefully over Iza's´ head, buttoning it up in the back, and tying the red ribbon at the waist.

Izayoi turned around inspecting herself in the full length mirror on the wall, straightening her collar, as Maeko combed out her hair, and placing the matching red headband in her hair; Iza spoke up, "Maeko-san, you wont let Kimie forget me, right?"

There was a pregnant pause. As Iza looked up directly into the mirror image of Maekos eyes, Maeko turned Iza around and hugged the girl to her chest.

"Izayoi-san I will never forget you, nor will I let Kimie forget you, even though you are not my daughter, I love you the same, Iza-san, never forget us my koi, we will be waiting."

Izayoi wrapped her arms around Maekos´ neck and smiled, "I promise I will never forget you Mae-san not you or Kimie, as she is my sister."

A bell signaled breakfast, was ready, they broke their hug to get ready to go downstairs.

Izayoi took her diary out from under the bed and stashed it in her leather backpack, along with her mother´s pictures, and a scarf, then turned around glancing around the room one last time then ran downstairs; towards her future, towards the most important gift a parent can give a child, a good education.

**Please Read & Review**


	4. Aboard the SS Faithfull

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**  
**Hey there! Here is chapter four (my last post for today im sleepy, got to go to work tomorrow guys),

Enjoy!

**A Mapped Life****: Aboard the S.S. Faithfull**

After breakfast the household lined up in front of the house while the movers gathered Izayois´ trunks and boxes.

Only her clothes and shoes adorned the insides of said items, since during Hans' last trip he had brought everything needed to accommodate Iayois living quarters for the next eight years, he also paid the first five years. He managed to lease one of the empty buildings on campus and stashed it full of books, resembling a library; Maeko thought he was out of his mind when he showed her the pictures.

Maeko and Kimie cried openly, while the other servants conserved far off looks in their eyes. Han brought the car around the front of the house as the movers loaded their personal luggage in the trunk.

Maeko embraced Kimie and pulled Iza into the hug, they cried some more as Iza only blinked but tightened her hold on Kimie, few words were said by her, "Kimie don't cry sister, I will never forget you, keep learning with Joseph-san, for I will write back, but in English, so you better learn little sister, write back Kimie, I love you dear sister, farewell."

Han opened the passenger side door to the 1970 Convertible, red Mustang.

Maeko let go of the girls and straightened Iayois dress, "go now koi, your father is waiting."

Izayoi turned around and rapidly walked toward the parked car, she got in and Han closed the door, he got in the drivers side, revved the engine and drove off towards the pier where the S.S. Faithfull was waiting for passengers to board.

It was not until they had set foot in their cabin aboard the ship that would take them towards Massachusetts, that Izayoi shed one single tear.

The captain set destination arrival time as Sunday next week.

Six days away, Han and Izayoi were assigned a cabin on first class as were to be expected. The cabin was divided in a living quarter with two rooms.

The ship was a fair size, Han Tokugawa being the business man he was, soon found corades ad started discussing business.

He found the Tiki-bar on the third deck, the cigar shop on the second class shop hall, and the fine liquor store on the end of the shop hall on first class.

By the third day Han had numerous new business associates, while Izayoi explored the Ladies deck, where they played bingo, cards and smoked as if they were chimneys, hell they even had a slang that could make any sailor blush.

She walked the shop hall on the first class deck, looking for a paper and office goods shop. She brought a pad of lilac striped bond paper, and a few pens, envelopes and a numerous quantity of stamps, since she didn't know how many were need to send a letter to an address in Okinawa.

While walking down the hall which connected the dinning area with the recreational plaza, a voice sounded over the speakers,

"good day to all our passengers, we would like to announce that tomorrow around noon we will arrive and be passing by the Panama Canal, place where we will travel under a bridge that connects North America with Central and South America, if you need to send letters or drop a wire, please report to front deck no later than 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. We would also like to announce that the passengers which will be leaving tomorrow must be checked out by 10:30 a.m. This is all dear passengers of the S.S. Faithfull Have a nice day."

**Please Read & Review I would greatly appreciate it! Huggles Pinkit!**


	5. Stumble Along Now

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

_**A Mapped Life**_**: Stumble along now…**

After the captains´ announcement, Izayoi smiled and ran the rest of the way down the hall, cutting the time she would take to arrive at their cabin, running straight across the leisure deck, where people ran laps around the track, or played tennis in the reserved courts, a few were bathing in the pool also.

Izayoi ran on the path between the tennis courts and the pool, then out of nowhere a yellow ball came shooting out from over the safety net, knocking Izayoi off balance and causing her to push a man with what looked like a silver wig face first into the pool, she caught hold of the ladder poll before falling in, mumbling a discrete "gomen" before running like a bat out of hell, missing the only what one could describe as light amber observing her.

**Moments before´ **

Toga Inu no Taisho, chat leisurely with one of his business partners, how happened to be moving to the Americas also, Kenichii was one of his long youth friends, once they grew up the kept the friendship undercover, due to industrial spies, and risk of rumors spreading about partnership between both Industrial Companies, while Kenichii was the son of the wealthiest Textile and Construction Organization tycoon in Kyoto, Toga was son to the last Demon Lord in Japan, of course other Youkai still lived on the planet, modern culture confusing their species as "alien" or "a figment of the imagination" or other people using them as ideas or models to make money off of, what you never thought "a man who could receive a bullet to his head ad still be alive was human right?"

Ken InuTaisho, Toga´s father, and previous Inu no Taisho´, was also a business man, also being as ancient as Dragons, he lived through the "Oil fever" in the middle east, discovering his own magnanimous supply of the black gold himself, he was pronounced Japans´ Oil Tycoon, and the Yakuza´s rival in a very short period of time.

After his reign as Inu no Taisho was over, Ken passed on the family legacy, and honor to his only living son, Toga, and after his death he left him with the greatest Oiling Empire on the planet, business contracts to fill, and money to spend.

Toga having to keep the legacy of the Inu no Taisho´ alive, had to produce an heir before his 300th birthday, if anything were to happen to him, he would leave somebody to fill his spot. Thus explaining how Lora Takashi came to occupy the role as wife, to Toga but not his mate, Thank God, what a tragedy that would have been.

Kenichii´s tennis partner Kentaro, arrived with a cylinder of new balls to start their warm up, using the wall as opponents they served and parried, loosing concentration as the captain made his daily announcement over the loud speaker.

Toga ushered Lora who had just arrived at the deck, towards the rectangular pool in the middle of the wide area, to practice her Lamaze exercises, being pregnant and due in a month, any time soon.

Toga sat on the edge of the pool as Lora swam a slow lap around the pool, picking up the muffled cheers and curses as Kentaro missing a par issued by Kenichii and vice versa.

Suddenly a little girl with porcelain skin, pitch black hair and violet eyes came running though the court. Kenichii missing a par again saw her and yelled for her to stop or get out of the way, for he and Kentaro were also Inu youkai and the par he missed was going a good 10 mph, with the sweat they worked up and all. He knew that if the girl got hit by it, she was in for a good concussion or severe head trauma.

The girl oblivious to it all kept running into the line of impact of the first tennis ball, being missing by only a hair, she tripped on something and was hit by the second one in the back, stumbling onto Toga, pushing him into the pool, but she managed to grab onto the pool´s stair poll before falling in.

Toga was startled out of his revere by a light weight pushing him into the pool face first, when he turned around pealing his silver forelocks off his face he managed to hear a mumbled "gomen" and before being able to look directly at her, she tore off straight for the hall that lead to first class.

Toga combed his mane back with his claws, raising a hand trying to call the girls attention with a "hey you" only managing to scare the girl into running faster, rubbing his palm over his face he observed her, and recalled her eyes, what a pretty little girl, lavender eyes…´

Kenichii ran over and helped Toga out of the pool his white shirt and slacks clinging to his frame, Lora came swimming up moments later, and as Kenichii also helped her out of the pool, Toga didn´t miss her crude comments about it all.

"Inu, can´t you even keep dry the right way? Oh, what a clumsy father my son will have. Move out of the way will you, I can´t get out of the pool! Kenichii get your ass over here and help me out you mutt!"

Toga took his shirt off and wringed it out in the pool, grunting as Lora bubbled with arrogance, why did I have to look for a bitch so arrogant to be whom to my heir?´ Toga huffed in frustration and grabbed Lora by the braid she had combed her blue-grey hair into, "Now listen, and listen good, you are not my mate, only a wife, which has no right over me, we were married for me to keep my son, and give him my name, after he is born and weaned off your milk, we divorce and you get your money, and I keep my son, do you understand you pathetic excuse for a bitch?"

Lora narrowed her green eyes into dangerous lime green slits, she raised her lip showing her fangs growling in warning, that she wasn´t liking his way of jerking her around at all, Toga seeing this pulled her harder by the nape, commanding her into submission. Lora fell silent as she saw red creep into the corners of his white pupils.

"Good, at least your father showed you when to submit, so now you know not to mix mans´ law with Youkai law, right?"

Lora blinked and lowered her head, cursing vividly under her breath, as why she had accepted the Dog Lords deal in the first place.

"Well now, silence bitch you are making me cross! Go up to your cabin, I've had enough of you for today!"

Kenichii lead Lora by the arm up the stairs leading to second deck first class, as Toga looked over his shoulder at the stairs where the girl had disappeared to, and again his thoughts invaded his mind, what a pretty little girl, lavender, lavender eyes…´

**Please Read & Review, I would Greatly Appreciate It! Hugs and "eshys" Kisses for all, Pinkit!**


	6. Why do I think about you?

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N** "_Yep youkai exist in my fic that is what makes it all more interesting Ne?" _

_flashes an evil grin and my pink fluffy plot bunny curls up into heap in the corner_

"_Now where did that rabbit go?" _

_Oh and on with the show, here is chapter six guys smiles_

**A Mapped Life:**

Kenichii dragged Lora the last few steps to her cabin, while said bitch growled and lashed out at his arm, they passed a bellhop on the way into the corridor, the young man eyed Kenichii suspiciously, but disappeared rapidly as he pointed menacingly towards the corridor, understanding the silent order to disappear.

"Goddamnit Lora! Stay still for a bit will you! I am not going to hurt you, I am just trying to help, Toga was about to turn full Inu on you back there if you didn´t submit, what were you thinking?!"

Kenichii loosened his grip on her arm and slouched against the wall, Lora rubbed the sore spot under her damp braid, where Toga had almost pulled her hair out by the roots, why was he helping her, he had seen how Toga had man-handled her before, and he had not said a word, but now, now he had got into it, and brought her up to her room, away from Toga, almost as if, he was saving her from sure doom.

Lora pulled her towel closer around her extended belly and rubbed her arm, swallowing a knot that seemed to appear suddenly in her throat, she turned around opening the door to her cabin, Kenichii a few steps behind her, she sat on the bed, her bathing suit being dry long before, as Kenichii shut the door behind him. She rested back against the wall and rubbed her extended belly soothingly.

"Are you O.K. Lora? Do you need anything are you hungry? I can call room service for you if you are you know…"

Kenichii was getting more nervous by the second, Lora smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Kenichii, Kenichii I´m O.K. it´s just that I felt the baby move, do you want to feel him move too?"

He kneeled on the floor in front of her, looking directly into her green eyes, as she offered him a hand, guiding his hand to her belly, and placing hers on top, he waited expectantly, then he felt it, the infant moving around inside of her. His eyebrows shot up under his thick auburn forelocks as he looked up locking his steel grey eyes with hers.

He smiled as she blushed, "Kenichii, why do you help me? Why do you care for me? Why do you let me treat you so inferiorly all the time, if it would have been Toga, he would have knocked some sense into me a long time ago."

Kenichii frowned and looked away, "I am in no position to tell you right now, please go change into something dry while I order some room service for you, I will leave after it arrives, go on…"

Lora blinked and granted him a shy little smile, as she slowly stood up from the bed, supporting her belly with one hand, and holding on to Kenichii with the other, she walked to the bathroom and drew a shower for herself, thinking about what just happened as she changed into something dry after the shower, she heard the door close, as she walked out of the bathroom, she saw a tray with assorted fruits, gouda cheese, sweet meat and white rice. Next to the tray there was a pitcher of pineapple juice, and a short stem rose of to the side.

She rolled the tray next to the bed and chewed on a slice of kiwi and cheese as she smelled the rose, recalling what he had said to her a few minutes ago, Oh Kenichii, could it be that you and me could have a future together?´

Smelling the rose again she grinned and poured herself some juice as she thought, Oh dear friend, I am in no position to tell you right now…´

Kenichii being just outside her door, rested his forehead on it for a moment, before deciding to walk to his cabin and try to forget what he just lived a few moments ago watching Toga humiliate Lora in front of him, forcing her to submit, it was just something that he would have to bide his time, until the child was born, and weaned off his mother´s milk, then, they would be divorced, and she would be free. Free for him to tell her how he felt about her. He sighed and ran a clawed hand through his auburn locks, growling in exasperation.

Why did his best friend have to stand in between him and the woman he was sure could be his potential mate for life? Why of all people and youkai on earth was it Toga?

He walked over to the wet bar in his cabin and popped open a bottle of wine, drinking the night away to numb the hurt, the feeling of complete uselessness.

While Lora that night went to sleep with the rose on her night stand and a smile on her pretty pink lips.

**--**

Toga retreated to his separate cabin, 3 doors down from Lora´s, a long while after looking for the little girl, but not being able to find her. Who was she? Who were her parents? Was she traveling alone on the ship? ´

Some many questions flooded his mind that night, causing him a dreamless sleep. His final thought before falling asleep, those lavender eyes…´

**--**

Izayoi arrived at her room inside her cabin, and only until she closed the door and secured the lock, did she close her eyes, and clutch her chest to try to normalize it´s irregular beating, Oh Kami-sama! How could I be so careless, the poor guy got soaked wet because I was clumsy, and he called after me, he must be looking for me now, to tell on daddy about what I did to him, God! What am I going to do? ´

Iza picked herself off the floor and changed into something lighter, and then she called room service and ordered some chicken teriyaki, white rice, and chocolate cake. Putting the tray outside the door, she locked herself in her room and went to sleep.

**Please Read & Review! I want to hear what you have to say guys, love Pinkit!**


	7. Realizing the truth about our close ones

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N** A special Hats off to **"Captain Applesauce"** I love your work, and I feel honored to the fact that you take time out of your hectic schedule to read thru and review my humble story 

_Bows_

_shows a wacky torture device at pink fluffy plot bunny _

"_I have named my plot bunny Pedro´ (LOL) so you just sit back and enjoy reading while I make Pedro´ talk"_

_an evil laugh is heard in the room as Pedro´ quivers in fear_

"_Don´t mind the ruckus in here we are just playing, oh and there is chapter seven, hope you enjoy reading it, See you all Later!"_

**A Mapped Life:**

Izayoi woke up again, remembering she still had to write a letter for Kimie, to be able to drop it off at the post office booth tomorrow; she used what she had brought that afternoon. This is what the letter read:

_Dear Kimie,_

_Hello sister, how are you? I am fine, we are still aboard the ship, and I am dropping a line since, we are at half the way of the trip. I promised I would write. Say hello to everyone for me, tell them I miss them, and tell Maeko I love her. Oh, and daddy Han has not lost a single minute, he has already gone and closed numerous thousand dollar contracts. I love you sister, take care of yourself, I will write once I know the address so you can write me back._

_Love Izayoi_

Izayoi folded the letter, and put it in the envelope, writing the address on the outside in English, and taking the sheet of stamps with her until she was at the post booth so she could ask how many were need to send a letter to Okinawa, Japan.

She hid the letter in the right pocket of the dress she would wear tomorrow; she stashed the dress in the closet, and went to sleep.

Later that night Han brought a woman to his room, convincing her to join him in bed, only to make her sound as if he were torturing her. Iza was about to stand up and knock on her father's door, when suddenly the noise stopped, there was a grunt, the bed sounded, then footsteps, and the front door shutting.

The sloppy footsteps followed outside in the hall after her father shut the door and turned the locks, securing the cabin. Then he walked to his room falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

That night Izayoi had a hard time falling asleep, repeating the noises she just heard in her head, she silently vowed to never be the other woman to any man, the other woman he could throw out in the middle of the night after he had his way with her.

Izayoi went to sleep that night crying for the strange woman that had the foul luck to fall grasp of her father's filthy hands.

That night Iza tossed and turned in bed trying to fall asleep again, with her mothers´ memory occupying her mind, and her name on her lips, Madelyn okaa-san, did you also suffer while you were at my father's side? Did he also throw you out in the middle of the night when he met you? Or was he different before? How much did you have to suffer just to stay at my side mother? Were you happy? ´

**-&-&-&-&-**

Next morning Izayoi woke up to the sound of her father retching repeatedly in his bathroom. She made quick work of showering and dressing up in a bright yellow sundress, and combed her hair up in pigtails, adorning them with yellow ribbons; she put the stamps and letter, inside her backpack. Then she walked into her father´s room, yelling over his retching, "daddy Han, I´m going out for breakfast, do you want me to bring you something back, should I call room service for you?"

Han´s body trembled, as he retched again, then he raised a hand and shooed her away, as he nodded no, she shrugged, and ran out of the cabin, into the hall, up the main stairs and pushed her way through the large crowd to get to the post booth, she asked the person in charge the amount of stamps needed, sticking a full sheet of strawberry shortcake stamps on it quickly, and then she handed in the envelope, seeing it placed inside a large leather duffle bag in the corner of the booth, she then walked towards the first class café, to have some Continental Breakfast´

Iza sat a two seat table, ordering hotcakes strawberry jam and sausage, with a large glass of orange juice; she ate silently observing the vast blue sea. A shiver ran up her spine, and she put her glass down, to run her hands up and down her arms to get rid of the goose bumps, she remembered her mothers´ wise words, "since living in Japan, one seems to run into youkai on a daily basis, you must know how to identify them my dear daughter, we **Ikedas´** seem to be able to feel them near, our family descending from a long line of kings and queens and warlords, were trained in this art, and you my dear have potential, so every time you feel this sensation run up your spine, a very powerful youkai is near, remember this because it will be important for your survival."

Izayoi kept rubbing her arms, as she looked over her shoulder to where she felt the source was coming from, her violet eyes clashing with what one only could describe as the lightest shade of honey could exist. "Almost as if they were liquid gold"

Izayoi eyed the youkai for a second then she remembered where she had seen him, he is that guy I stumbled into at the pool! ´

Said guy had taken a seat at his table with a woman that also seemed to be youkai, they ordered their meal, and he stood up, he approached her table and Izayoi tried to slide out of her chair.

**-&-&-&-&-**

Toga lead Lora by the arm into the Café for breakfast, she was on her last days of pregnancy, and such time was very crucial for the health of the baby, he had kept her close the past few hours, being strict on her eating every meal, and a good balance of meat and fruit.

They sat at their table and he ordered both of their meals, he felt someone's´ eyes on him, which was not odd since not many people were used to seeing a silver haired, golden eyed man, walking amongst them day to day.

He turned to look behind him, his eyes searching for the person that was watching him, his gold eyes meeting violet, as he abruptly stood up, and approached the table where the girl from the other day was sitting alone at.

He stood next to her table and arched a delicate brow as he bowed. "Well hello miss…?"

Izayoi blinked out of her revere, and answered his question, "Ohayo kind sir, please address me as Tokugawa-sama." She said bowing her head in a ladylike manner, finally those etiquette lesions her father had made her take were starting to pay off.

Toga answered in perfect Japanese, "Lady Ne? And so young, tell me Lady Tokugawa, don´t you think it is rude to assume that somebody you don´t know speaks the same language as you do? By the way you haven´t even apologized for pushing me face first into the pool the other day Lady Tokugawa."

Toga was just trying to irk her into speaking to him, Iza resembled a fish out of water, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly, the nerve of him, to act all superior and all, just like daddy sometimes´ She observed his hair closely, and up close it didn't look like a cheap wig at all, it was more of a comparison to expensive silk, soft and silver from the root all the way down.

Toga kneeled in front of her trying to regain her attention, but she was in some kind of trance, observing him.

Izayoi felt compelled to observe him in detail, his skin was firm and a tanned peach color, his face was boyish in nature, with a strong jaw line, and high cheekbones, what one would only call chiseled perfection. He had the most exotic youkai crests she could have ever seen, two horizontal jagged indigo lines, starting at his hairline reaching down to the middle of each cheek into the valley under the cheekbone.

This being, this creature, not human, not animal, was interesting to say the least and irked Izayoi´s curiosity to the extent that she raised her fingers to trace over the crests on Toga´s cheeks with her small nimble fingers.

Toga forgot his train of thought as if out of wonder and pure curiosity she raised her hand to run her fingers over his crests, he was hypnotized by her lavender eyes sparkling in mischief and curiosity, finally the noise of the restaurant brought him back to the present, he heard Lora holler out over the noise in an unladylike manner for him, to go and convince the waiter that se was alright, person who was stressing the point that if she was pregnant she could not have Brandy for breakfast.

Toga snapped his clawed fingers bringing the girl back from her trance, he braced her delicate wrist in his large clawed hand while he spoke, "dear Tokugawa-sama, hasn´t your mother taught you not to be touching or speaking to strangers?"

Iza was just a few breaths away from a heart attack, "Gomenasai InuTaisho-sama I didn´t mean to disrespect you so." She scribbled her cabin number and surname on the receipt that the waitress left at the table, and rapidly extracted her hand from the man´s grasp, nicking her palm in the process, also leaving behind her mother´s scarf.

Toga closed his eyes for a moment, regaining his composure, for he would need it to deal with Lora, Oh what I wouldn't give to be free of her, only after my son is born and old enough to be left under my care.´ He ran his neatly manicured hand down his face, bracing himself for the argument to come, when he smelled blood, he frowned inspecting his hand, and his face, thinking he had cut himself clumsily, taking a closer look at his index finger and the blood that run down his claw, he thought back to the girl and her small delicate hand, did I injure her in the process of just trying to get her to listen to me? To get her to stop touching me?´ He frowned, a concerned look on his face, as Lora continued to argue with the waiter, to provide the alcohol she longed for, what an insolent, pushy, disrespect for a true Inu-bitch she was.

He stood form the abandoned table smoothing out his slacks, and removed his handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the blood from his claw, and stashed it away in his pocket. "Waiter, please bring the Lady some orange juice, it´s healthy for the baby since she is in her final trimester and is delusional, don´t pay attention to her.

Lora snorted and Toga cracked a smile, "Dam Innuo! He is my son too!"

"Shut your trap Lora, you know what we agreed on, the divorce is final after his sixth month of life, and you know it, you know you have no right over him after that time, you pathetic excuse for a pureblood bitch! So sit down and eat the goddamned breakfast right now!"

**Please Read & Review! I love you all, Pinkit!**


	8. Adrenaline and Reality

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:** _Fifteen hits and two reviews! does funky dance with Pedro I have to be doing something right…"_

"_Okay then, been lacking some feedback from my overfed plush, fat-ass plot bunny, which is the reason why there hasn't been an update in a week or so. And also been having some kind of issues at work, well, that is the life of a CS agent, shit happens on a regular basis."_

_Shows Pedro a Plot bunny exercise wheel´_

"_Oh Pedro, here boy…" _

_Wink_

**A Mapped Life:**

Izayoi ran with all her might out of the Café, shouldering her backpack in the process, she ran through the central deck, straight down the stairs towards the Ladies´ Deck, and leaned on a wall to catch her breathe.

She doubled over and rested her palms on her knees, wiping her sweat away from her forehead and her nose, she felt something sticky on her knee and her face, she stood up straight and examined her hands, blood was running freely down her wrist, and stained her dress, a frown appeared on her face, "when did I get hurt?"

She replayed the encounter with the inu-youkai in her mind, of course, he had grabbed her hand and she had pulled away, causing him to grip her harder and cutting her palm open in the process, the adrenaline pumped faster through her frail frame, as she looked at all of the blood, on her arm, on her dress, on the floor, Iza dug her handkerchief out of her dress pocket, and wrapped her hand in it, right then a lady happened to walk by seeing her bloodied sundress, she quickly called for a bellhop, he picked Izayoi up as she started to go into shock, rushing her to the clinic on board, where the doctor rapidly stopped the bleeding, gave her something to calm down, and stitched her palm.

When he stepped out of the room he was treating her in, she lifted her hand into view to inspect the wound, she was surprised to find that in was shaped in a perfect arch, resembling a half moon, she lowered her hand as the doctor came back, to wrap her hand in gauze and the prescriptions for the swelling and disinfectant.

Her father appeared at the door, looking very upset, Iza slid of her chair and walked up to him.

"Izayoi, you always manage to get into trouble, I thought something bad had happened to you, I was in a meeting closing a deal with Ren Ito, when the bellhop came running in and saying that you were severely hurt, seriously all this commotion for a simple scratch, by the Gods! Next time just stay still inside the cabin, if you were a boy, this wouldn´t have happened!"

Han grabbed Iza by her other un-injured hand, and dragged her to the cabin, shoving her inside, he slammed the door to his room, and turned off the light, the door muffled a holler, "go to sleep already, or do something, just don´t make me look at you!"

Izayoi walked up to her father´s door, and slid a delicate hand down the decorative oak wood design, "It was an accident you know, I didn´t want to cut my hand open, I´m sorry papa Han…"

She ran into her room slamming the door and collapsed on her bed facedown, praying for the bed to muffle the sound of her sobs, "daddy Han, what have you become? Why do you treat me this way?"

That night a storm came down hard showering the S.S. Faithfull thoroughly, Izayoi tossed and turned in her bed until high hours of the night managing to go to sleep in the early morning, her face puffy and eyes swollen from crying to long.

The next days, Han brought a different woman into the cabin each late night and threw her out before dawn, Izayoi stayed inside the cabin, only going out in the late afternoon to watch the sun paint the sky in patterns of oranges, pinks, and purples.

She realized that since they had boarded the ship she had the good fortune to really meet the man she called a father, and if all this time he had been playing coy with her, what else was there for Izayoi to find out about her father? What other surprises would she run in to in the future he had planned for her?

_Wow! There goes another chapter…_

_grins_

**Please Read & Review, hugs Pinkit!**


	9. Protecting what's not mine and drunk

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N: **Hey there, glad you could join us today, Pedro and I were just about to play a hand of Blackjack, sit down and watch,

-Dealer cuts deck,

-deals two cards Pedro two cards Pinkit,

-Pedro hits 7 of hearts, bust! 25

-Pedro looses $15.00 to table,

-Pinkit hits 3 of spades, Winner! 21

-Pinkit wins table jackpot! More hits, and a box of fresh strawberry Pocky!

Pedro asked me to sit and write just what he had thought up, so here is chapter 9 of A Mapped Life´

**A Mapped life:**

Late the last night aboard the S.S. Faithfull, Kentaro dragged Kenichii out of the cabin they shared, and brought him along to his mix and mingle routine at the Bar on first class, they rented a pool table for 2 hours, ordered a few shots of whiskey and discussed marketing campaigns for the branch of home contractors they planned on establish in America.

"But Ichi think about the possibilities, now that we now that westerners have started to build their homes from wood and gypsum, it will be much easier, our Japanese builders will have a field trip building the project, only the foundation has to be in bricks and cement, along with the walls that are the primary dividers, the rest can be wood and clay! We will make millions in profit, and quick!"

"Taro, you must put yourself in these peoples´ shoes, how would it feel like to own a house made out of clay and sticks? Not so hot right? Well think about it this way, if you wouldn't take the time to at least consider buying what you are selling, it is not worth it…or at least that is the way I look at things and that is the way I succeed every time I sign a contract and build."

Kentaro growled in frustration, missing the eight ball by an inch, loosing his third game and having to pay the third round of shots, he laid his stick across the table and approached the bar, ordering another round as the took a glance over his shoulder, at none another than Lora herself, drunk as a sailor, and giggling madly at a guy flirting with her, he who was less than interested in a pregnant woman, youkai as a manner of a fact, just looking for a quick screw´ probably mistaking Lora with one of the cabaret girls, who wore skimpy little dresses, obscene amounts of makeup, and odd color wigs.

He looked over to Kenichii who was arranging the table again, as he looked up feeling somebody's eyes on him, youkai senses alert, he locked his steel gray eyes with Kentaro, who gestured over to the table where Lora and the drunk we sitting at with his clawed index finger.

The drunk had managed to scoot over next to Lora, close enough to slide his hand up the skirt of her dress, Kenichii narrowed his eyes to silver slits, and with all the grace of a full blown killer stalked over to the table and hauled the drunk out of his seat by his neck, punching him directly in the face, fracturing his nose, he threw the drunk in a heap on the floor. Lora giggled through it all, Kenichii pulled her out of her chair and picked her up bridal style in one swift motion, Lora braced both her arms around his neck and kept on giggling, he issued a low but deep growl in Inu ordering her to keep silent, she obeyed and nipped at his jaw and throat, looking for reassurance.

he buried his nose into her hair, only to find her fresh delightful fragrance opaque with cigar smoke, another mans´ sweat and hard liquor, he snorted, trying to get rid of the odor, and looked up to find Kentaro downing another shot, he growled in Inu, getting his attention, Kentaro looked up at him, "go ahead my friend, I'm sure you wouldn´t like to have Toga find her here like this at all, take her to her cabin and get her sober, I don´t think all that liquor she has inside is good for the child. Take care of her, Ichi I will be fine."

Kenichii nodded, and walked toward the nearest exit, to take her to her cabin and get the liquor out of her before she digested it, with all that she drank it could provoke fever or even worst labor. And nobody would like to go into labor drunk right?

He sighed as he heard Lora purr into his ear and snuggle closer to his warm body, she was practically wearing nothing, "what were you thinking Lora, being pregnant and all are you trying to kill your child? I don't think you have it in you, so that must mean that something is bothering you, but what is it koi?"

All he got as a response was a giggle interrupted by hiccups. He ran his hands along her frail form looking for the cabin key, finding it snugly fit in between her ample breasts he gulped and pulled it out, opening the door to the cabin, he walked over to the bathroom and turned the faucets on, drawing her a cool bath to get her sober, he sat on the covered toilet, with Lora in his lap, and undressed her, throwing her clothes in the trash, he stripped her down bare and forced his index finger into her mouth, making her dry heave twice he stood and let her kneel in front of the toilet, to throw up all the liquor, then he picked her up and carefully laid her in the tub, and poured a handful of cold water on her face, a harsh intake of breath on her part followed, signaling she was wide awake.

Lora coughed and inhaled gripping the side of the tub making her knuckles turn white, the porcelain cracked under her grip but didn´t give way, "Kami-sama! Kenichii what the fuck were you thinking! I could have choked! Then you would be in for it you idiot, Toga would have your ass if you kill his heir!" She said as she smoothed her blue grey hair out of her eyes, and sputtered more water.

"The same damn thing you should be thinking Lora, you just consumed two full bottles of hard liquor, you could have gone into labor alone, and died, and killed the baby when you transformed, or is that what you were planning?! God! I can´t believe I plan to have you give me children!"

He punched a hole in the wall of the bathroom, then he combed his claws through his hair quickly realizing he had said too much, he exited the bathroom and picked up the phone, ordering her dinner and a double black cup of coffee, he waited for room service and left shortly after it arrived, no note was left, and no flower this time, only the cabin window left ajar, to dispel the scent of him in the cabin, and he took the clothes soaked in bar stench, leaving no evidence of her entourage into the Bar at a full 8 months pregnant which was full term for Inu youkai, and due any minute.

That night Lora slept with what he had blurted out in the middle of their argument on her mind, "God I can´t believe I plan to have you give me children!"

She snuggled under the covers and caressed her belly lovingly, "oh my baby, I wish things could be different, that I could watch you grow, and teach you important things just like any other mother does to her child, I hope you forgive me for being such a fool, I love you baby, be well."

"Kenichii, my love, is it true, that you desire me? That you wish me to have your children? Could it be that I have a future with you after my son is born? Well if you still want me afterwards, since I seem to screwing up all the time, I hope you still want me after what happened at the bar."

**Please Read and review people, or email if you wish, hugs and kisses Pinkit!**


	10. Three is company, but four is a crowd

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:** _"I don´t know about you, but I am having a blast watching what I had planned just go out the window, because it ends up so much better, than the first draft."_

_"For those of you that might be wondering, I do try to pre-write the chapters sometimes when I have nothing to do, then when I am passing everything over on the computer, everything I had planned and written out, just seems to go Poof and something much better appears, and thus is how the previous nine chapters happened, all with the imminent help of my fluffy XL sized plot bunny."_

_"Pedro here got into my personal stash of banana glazed mini cakes, getting an overdose of sugar, and I decided he should burn of the energy, right Pedro?"_

_Pedro hunches down in all fours and tries to creep out of the room_

_Pinkit thwarts his plan shutting the door, picks him up with great difficulty, and throws him in the exercise wheel "Omf! God Pedro! How many of them did you eat?"_

"_Alright Pedro show them what you've got!"_

A Mapped Life:

A steam whistle awoke Toga, signaling the ship was an hour away from the Boston City Pier; he took a shower dressed in khaki slacks and a white short-sleeved button down shirt, brown moccasins, and pulled his unruly silver hair in a topknot. He picked up his luggage and placed it in a cart that was left outside his cabin, rolling it just outside Lora's cabin he unlocked the door with his spare key, finding her dressed in a white button maternity dress and tan roman sandals, her hair woven in an intricate mass of loops, twists curls and braids.

Her luggage sat at the edge of her bed, he walked into the room, and without a word picked up her bags, depositing them on the same cart as his he looked to see if anything was left behind, finding nothing he then addressed her, "Let's go Lora, Myouga will have the limo at the pier, and I don't want that much attention, when we arrive, we will wait on deck to reach the pier,"

Lora nodded and picked her purse up, covering her throat with an elaborate rich textured scarf she found in the Café the other day; she walked behind Toga, down the hall and up the ramp designed to bring carts full of luggage up to the first class deck.

They found Kentaro and Kenichii sitting at a table having an early breakfast, joining them at the table the spoke of the living arraignments for the first few weeks until Kenichii brought a house suitable for both bachelors, cousins at that.

As Toga and Kenichii came to an agreement, Lora kept trying to make Kenichii look at her, he whom ignored her desperate need for attention and focused on the conversation with Toga.

Another set of intervals of the ships´ steam whistle, signaled they had arrived at pier, the intercom sounded:

"Good Morning to all of the passengers of the S.S. Faithfull, we are pleased to announce that we have arrived at Boston City Pier, on schedule as planned, for those of you that heard the warning bell at 07:00 hours, and are ready to leave, you may approach one of the nice ladies in a blue sailor uniform and turn in your keys to your cabins, once being checked out, you may get off using the ramps of each division, first class will have four ramps all on the right hand side of the deck, second class will have three ramps all on the left hand side of the second class deck, third class with have three ramps also on the left hand side of the third class deck, all of our personnel with permission to go off-board will be able to use the ramps on the right hand side on the third class deck using their employee boarding pass, to all of our passengers we wish you a safe trip to your future destination and we hope that you consider Rising Sun Cruises and the S.S. Faithfull again for your leisure, business or pleasure trips, Safe Trip to you all, Good day, from your loyal Captain Ito Hiro."

The ramps were being placed as the stewardess arrived at their table to pick up the keys to the cabins, all were turned in and check-out slips were issued to be able to get off the ship, Toga stood and helped Lora up, Kentaro and Kenichii followed suit, the men carried the luggage as Toga helped Lora down the ramp, she stumbled midstep and almost fell, Toga sighed and picked her up bridal style in one quick motion, earning him a huff of self indignation from Lora.

"Clumsy woman, if it weren't for me, you would be on the floor half of the time,"

"Argh! I can walk on my own you know! It was just that bump on the ramp I tripped on!

"Yeah you tripped on it, and you almost fell face first risking going into labor right here and now too…"

"Grrr! Inu I'm so fed up with your constant hovering! Anyone would think I have a terminal sickness instead of just being pregnant, and for your information I am not due yet!"

"Yes you are due any minute, that is why I hover over you, because I care about my child, not like you that you could care less if you fall or not,"

"You know you would be such a charming man if you had more tact with your mouth, and the words that come out of it, put some good use to that tongue of yours, other than the nightly use you put to it,"

"Yeah well I don´t here you complaining, you always ask me for more, don't you?"

And Lora hid her flushed cherry cheeks in the crook of his neck.

Kentaro and Kenichii watched the couple bicker and exchange crude comments, Kenichii snorting at Toga's last comment about the use of his tongue on Lora, making him wince and look away, that moment he realized that even though the couple had their differences, he still bedded Lora,

Could it be that she feels something for Toga, and played with me all this time?´ Could I compare to Toga in bed, him being her first since this was essential in the production of an Heir to the House of Inu, the bitch had to be untouched, virgin, and he had to be her first.

As they approached the black stretch limo, Kenichii thought to himself as he saw Myouga open the back right hand side door for Toga, and saw him lower Lora gently onto the plush red velvet limo seat, Can I really aspire to own your heart Lora Takisho? Can I compare to what you saw in Toga to allow him to bed you, my koi?´

He saw Lora look at him, he turned around to look at the ship, hiding the hurt in his eyes, Kenichii sighed loudly as Toga called him into the car, "Ichi let's go, we will arrive at the Manor in two hours or so, the sooner we leave the sooner we will arrive."

Kenichii felt fustration emanate from everyone of his pores, he bit the inside of his cheek, as he walked up to the limo and climbed in, oblivious to the conversation inside.

Toga instructed Myouga to head directly to the Manor, as Lora observed the sky outside the car, over the busy streets of Boston, Massachusetts, a storm onset in the horizon, and grey clouds scattered over the brown and grey buildings of this place, where she could call home for the time being.

She sighed again then winced as the limo fell in a pothole, Toga barked out to Myouga to mind his driving only and not fall in another hole. Then raised the glass separating the driver from the occupants of the limo for more privacy. Myouga was his loyal retainer, since his father passed away, he knew him very well, but there were somethings that still were not to be tolerated, one of those being evesdropping.

Kentaro groaned, with an overprotecting Tai Youkai, a bitch in final days of pregnancy, that couples bickering, and the sexual fustration between Ichi and Lora, the strings are so so taunt they could snap causing everybody go full Inu on each other, these are going to be a very long and tedious two weeks…´

Kentaro pulled some chewing tabacco from his coat pocket and popped a chunk in his mouth, running his manicured claws through his inmaculate copper mane, and huffed in exasperation as he fixed his icy blue eyes on the other three occupants in the car, which had stopped bickering and know observed the scenery through a different window, could they really survive two weeks together without killing themselves?´

Please Read & Review, hugs and kisses Pinkit!


	11. Emotions Stripped Bare

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:** _"Hey guys, I am here again, yet another update in one day, I think I had an overdose of glazed cakes myself celebrating my __**109 page views**__ while I watched Pedro do his trot on the plot bunny exercise wheel, laughs lets just call this a burst of creativity, I want to know how Izayoi and Han fair, don't you?"_

_**Summary:**_Han and Izayoi finally arrive at Boston City Pier.

Izayoi analyzes how she feels about her father; she comes to some crude realistic conclusions.

A new secondary character is introduced.

"I was listening to: Inuyasha 3rd OST instrumental track - Sokushin Butsu Hakusin Shounin, I believe it represents the inner turmoil Izayoi is going through at the time."

_And without further A due, I present chapter eleven of,_

_**A Mapped Life:**_

The sound of the ships steam whistle awoke Izayoi from her light slumber, she crawled out of bed and opened her suitcase, the one that Maeko had packed with essentials since the trunks and other luggage had been sent to the storage space in lower deck labeled under their cabin number.

She quickly folded everything into it, and left out only the dress and shoes that she would wear today. Iza took a quick shower and got dressed, combing her hair up in an inky black pony tail, she adorned it with a thin purple ribbon; which matched her dress today, a rounded collar, cap-sleeved knee length cotton and lace, lilac colored dress, with white lace stockings and black mariejanes. She scanned the room looking to see if anything was left behind, when she found nothing she zipped her suitcase closed and put the locks on the zippers.

Iza picked up her leather bag, and shouldered it, she walked out of her room to find her father sitting in the lounging area of the cabin reading the paper, and enjoying his routine cup of coffee.

"Ah Izayoi, my dear, I see that you finally have awaken, are you ready did you pack everything? We check out today, anything that is left behind will not be able to be recovered."

As he finished downing his coffee he stood and folded the paper, throwing it on the table he stood and called for a bellhop to carry the luggage up to first deck, where they would have an early breakfast and be checked out.

The bellhop, loaded the luggage onto the cart and gave them a table number, to where he would take their cart. Han walked out to the corridor and up the stairs to the first class deck, Izayoi in tow, she had not said a word to him in all morning, since she was stunned out of her senses that a good man could board a cruise ship, loose the good-guy façade as soon as they set sail, and become a rotten scumbag during the trip, and then go back to the good-guy in the blink of an eye.

Where had all the last 4 days gone? Did these past few days really happen to her; was it only a figment of her imagination? Was puberty starting to show its ugly face on Izayoi making her hallucinate?

Iza shook her head trying to clear all of the odd and surreal events in question from her mind; the important thing was that she could get off this retched ship that had created such rough moments in her life, which had potentially scarred her being for the rest of her days, inside and out.

She brought her hand to her face, to examine the stitches on her palm, the cut had bruised quite pronouncedly, and you could make out the clear image of a waning quarter moon. A frown appeared on her delicate features, as she studied the scab that the blood had formed. She was all to engrossed in herself and bumped into her fathers side, not so lightly, earning her a scowl from the beast of a man she had meet just a couple of days before, she bowed excusing herself for her clumsiness, feeling skittish she paced backwards to distance herself from him.

That moment Izayoi came upon another realization, her father no longer represented security, nor respect, and a little less than honesty, she no longer saw him as the protective, secure father figure, just a man who had kept her eyes cloaked from the truth all these years, she no longer felt safe by his side, and the sooner she was away from him the better, pity she was still underage and unable to care for herself monetary wise, she hugged herself and thought back to Maeko, Kimie, Joseph-san, and Yasou, her family although not her blood they kept her safe, they made her feel secure, they made her smile, and loved her. But this man, this being she had next to her, was nothing short of a vile excuse for a father.

They arrived at the table the bellhop had chosen for them, Han ordered breakfast for both, and they ate in silence, neither looking directly at each other, another set of intervals of the ships´ steam whistle, signaled they had arrived at pier, the ships intercom sounded;

"Good Morning to all of the passengers of the S.S. Faithfull, we are pleased to announce that we have arrived at Boston City Pier, on schedule as planned, for those of you that heard the warning bell at 07:00 hours, and are ready to leave, you may approach one of the nice ladies in a blue sailor uniform and turn in your keys to your cabins, once being checked out, you may get off using the ramps of each division, first class will have four ramps all on the right hand side of the deck, second class will have three ramps all on the left hand side of the second class deck, third class with have three ramps also on the left hand side of the third class deck, all of our personnel with permission to go off-board will be able to use the ramps on the right hand side on the third class deck using their employee boarding pass, to all of our passengers we wish you a safe trip to your future destination and we hope that you consider Rising Sun Cruises and the S.S. Faithfull again for your leisure, business or pleasure trips, Safe Trip to you all, Good day, from your loyal Captain Ito Hiro."

They finished their breakfast in silence, and a stewardess arrived at their table, Han proceeded to turn in the key to the cabin and received a check out slip in return, as they stood and walked over to the second ramp leading off the ship onto the pier, the bellhop carted their luggage toward an expensive looking grey car, a guy in a black suit opened the trunk and then the back door for them to get in, her father addressed him,

"Ah Clark right on time, my trusted servant, take heed that all the luggage is loaded in the truck they are the Ladies' possessions, tip the bellhop and let us leave ASAP"

Izayoi observed quietly as the man did as he was told, tipping the bellhop he climbed into the car and addressed his lord, "Lord Tokugawa, where to sir?"

Han took off his hat, dusting it off of any imaginary lint he placed it on his knee, looking at Izayoi out of the corner of his eye, "To the Elizabethan Institute, and make it quick I have other appointments today, I want to make sure, Izayoi is installed there by tonight, so she can start her schooling on Monday."

Izayoi sat still clutching her hands in her lap, her knuckles white, the nerve of him, she wouldn't meet the staff at the house in Boston, she wouldn't be able to see the room her mother occupied for her last days.´

She felt helpless and angry knowing that her father was manipulating her to do what she was told, no questions asked, and if there were, she was sure he wouldn't think twice to strike her down, now knowing who her father really was and she had little to no idea what he was capable of.

Clark adjusted the retro visor, to be able to look at Izayoi, the young lady seemed to be against going straight to the boarding school, but she kept silent, what a pretty girl she was, an exact copy of the late Lady Madelyn, the same eyes, I bet she has the same smile…´

A tear escaped Iza's eye, Clark saw it make a zig zag path down her porcelain cheek and reach her chin, before she methodically wiped it away, as if nothing had happened.

Izayoi blinked, and scooted further away from her father on the plush black velvet seat of the car, leaning on the closed door, and looked out into the horizon, an ominous black cloud painting the once blue sky dark grey with blotches of black.

"Let's go Clark I don't have all day!" Han voiced out, Izayoi sighed, and put her forehead against the cold glass of the window.

"As you wish my Lord, as you wish" Clark said as he revved the engine and speed down the busy streets of downtown Boston, reaching the city limit and entering the property of the Elizabethan Institute, he felt the child's discomfort he slowed down a bit, but the damage was already done, they had arrived at the front gates of the educational institution where young lady Izayoi would be housed as a prisoner, taught as a refined, polished girl of high class society, and they would only see her on every other Sunday, and the holidays.

**I greatly appreciate constructive criticism.**

**Hugs and lots of love Pinkit!**


	12. Arrival at the House of Inu

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:** _"Hey there, I wanted to put on paper what I just came up wit, but for some strange reason I can't find it, I wonder if Pedro has to do with it disappearing?"_

_Pedro hides front paws behind his plush furry back_

"_Aha! I thought so! Give it here doughboy!"_

_Pinkit lifts Pedro with great difficulty and retrieves her notebook from under his fat-ass_

"_Oh, and thanks for the page views guys I greatly appreciate your support!"_

_**Summary:**_ Our group of Inu youkai arrive at the Taisho Estate.

They meet someone they hadn't seen in a long time.

Lora gets busted by a wise old woman.

"I was listening to: Inuyasha 3rd Movie OST: Koaru Wada - Chichi E no Doukei, while I wrote this chapter."

"_Here goes chapter twelve guys!"_

**A Mapped Life:**

The Black stretch limo arrived at the polished imperial gates of the Manor, or should I rephrase mansion, Lora basked in all the posh exuberance of the estate, a mix between Japanese and western architecture. The roof resembled the structure used in high class Okinawa, orange shingles on a sturdy limestone building, a statue of the late Inu no Taisho in his true form adorned or better said guarded the passage towards the house, standing at an impressive twenty feet atop the fountain in the center of the drive way, it was only a tribute to him since he reached a good forty five feet in true nature. White columns on the corners of the house, and lots of green plants, in a quick inspection she could make out, ficcus, bamboo, and fern plants everywhere.

Myouga drove around the statue arriving at the main entrance to the estate, a bee line of nine maids and servants dressed in light blue slacks or skirts and a white button down uniform shirt with the house emblem stood on the first step of the entrance, one very plump, busty woman, maybe youkai was dressed different from all the others, in a royal blue with orange mandarin collared short sleeved vest, black flowing slacks, tabi socks, and black flats.

Myouga exited the car, trotting over to open the door for his lord, the lady, and the sirs Kentaro and Kenichii, youth friends of Lord Toga.

The plump woman approached Toga and bowed her reverence to him, the other maids and servants following suit.

"Lord Inu no Taisho Toga, we humble servants expected your arrival, we hope all went well on the trip, the rooms are clean and fit for visitors, how must we accommodate them?"

Lora was surprised to see Kentaro, Kenichii and Toga step front and bow to the woman; they all greeted her with hugs and good health oaths,

"Ren, there is no need for formalities my dear nana, you practically raised me good woman, I should be bowing down to you on one knee, I hope we find you in best of health."

She stepped forward and pulled Toga down by his arm to give him a light kiss on the forehead, and cheek, "My little trouble maker, how you have grown! It has been too long, you should have visited more often, now you bring Ichi and Taro along also, and a pretty pupped Lady at that, who is she Toga?"

Kentaro interrupted before Toga could answer, leaving Lora fuming since she was the only one in their party who didn't know the strange and might as well be ancient woman, no youkai, since she had to be youkai to haven been able to see Toga as a child.

"Nana Ren! We are so exited to see you again, it has been to long since the last time, we were pups when Ichi and I saw you last, how have you faired" Kentaro said as he picked her up in a bear hug, shaking her lovingly.

"Now Taro, mind your manners, and stop squishing nana Ren, Toga might need her soon! Nana Ren I am glad to see you again, I cherished your memory dearly, I hope you are well?" Kenichii said as he pulled Ren from Taro's bear hug, and embraced her dearly, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Ren held Kenichii's hands, and looked him over, "You have all grown into fine young Inu youkai, I trust you won't be going skinny dipping in the koi pond again, ne?"

They all laughed looking at each other and sporting the same color of flushed faces at Rens' embarrassing comment, Toga put his arm around her, and lead her towards were Lora was standing, he introduced them,

"Nana Ren, this is Takisho Lora, mother of my soon to be born heir, she is my wife for the time being only, and Lora this is nana Iwata Ren, she will be helping you with the birth and care of my son while you are here, then when you leave, my son will be under her care."

Ren looked the pregnant Inu youkai bitch over, a bit underfed, too pale, her crests a deep purple, resembling the same color of the quarter moon on her forehead, marking her as a member of the poison Inu Youkai clan of south Okinawa. Her hair a dark grayish blue was woven in an elaborate mass of braids, curls and twists.

Ren approached the young bitch, pulling her down with remarkable strength, she cupped booth of Lora's cheeks in her hands and proceeded to examine, her eyes, and stuck a well sharpened and manicured claw under her top lip inspecting her gums, "ah as I thought, a tad underfed, and you have consumed hard liquor, maybe sake at that; we will be lucky that the child is born healthy and a bit underweight."

Lora squirmed out of the woman's grasp, and collected herself, placing both her delicate clawed hands on her extended belly, she shook her head, "that is not true old woman, I have not consumed sake at all, and if I have skipped a meal is because I have felt under the weather lately, this is an insult Inu no Taisho please have somebody escort me to my room at once!"

Toga grabbed Lora by the upper arm, and narrowed his amber eyes to gold slits, his look promising later retribution for what Ren had discovered, he shook her shoulder ordering her to submit, "You owe nana Ren an apology, bow and apologize right now Lora!"

"Lora felt the red creep into her pupils, and her blood boil, but she obeyed, dropping her hands to clasp under her extended belly, she bowed as far as she could, mumbling a forced "Gomenasai nana Ren, I don't what came over me, it must be I feel a bit exhausted by the long trip here."

"Not to worry lady Lora, I have had my share of pushy arrogant first pupped bitches in my time, to know not to take it personal, you shall be escorted to your room, Ume, Maki, show the lady her sleeping quarters at once!"

"Noah, Chiyo, escort lord Toga to his suite, the rest of you, these two gentlemen here are the same as family to lord Taisho, show them utter most respect, please show them to the east corner rooms, Taro will be accommodated in the southeast room, Ichi will have the northeast room, that way you are a good distance away from me and lady Lora when she goes into labor which might be this night, if my calculations are right."

Taro and Ichi followed the maids sporting their luggage into the manor, and up the stairs, leaving Myouga and Ren alone.

"Anata, the storm is set over our tranquil home, that Lora woman, is nothing but trouble to my boys, I could have sworn I saw resentment in Ichi's eyes."

"You are right my dear Ren, I witnessed it in the car, there is something between them, let's pray and hope that it is not what I think it is, and Ichi doesn't betray Toga. You must make the child be born and the weaning time be short, we need to get her as far away from the boys as soon as possible"

The old couple of youkai hugged in a loving embrace, then entered the mansion, to get an early supper ready for the occupants of the Taisho Estate.

**Please Read & Review. Hugs Pinkit!**


	13. Soo much Rules and Regulations

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:** _"I appreciate all of the page views guys, I know that maybe everybody is used to Kagome and Inuyasha alternate universe fics, and maybe this is a little on the odd side, buy I just wanted to see how a story about how Izayoi and Toga met, and how Sesshoumaru was raised to be the stuck up hunk he is goes. I understand if maybe you read the stories and rather not leave a review, lets just have you know that I do accept anonymous reviews, and emails, I don´t mind them, hey any is better than none; I would be nice to know what you guys think about what I write. "_

_**Summary:**_ Han finally leaves Izayoi at the Elizabethan Institute for young Ladies,

Izayoi meets her headmistress.

It is time that Izayoi puts some people n their place, ne?

"I was listening to my hero - foo fighters, while i wrote this chapter"

"There goes my hero, so ordinary...this might be what Izayoi thought when she waw her father go out that door."

"_Pedro here wanted me to write chapter 13 of this interesting story, when Izayoi arrives at the Institute, so here it is…"_

**A Mapped Life:**

The gray Mercedes Benz approached the looming black gates of the Elizabethan Institute for Ladies; a long wide bricked road lead the entrance to the learning institution, rose bushes adorned the edges of the brick-paved road. A fountain with what looked like a Greek woman and her daughters pouring water from flasks into the fountain made from a rose-hued marble adorned the entrance of the Institute.

Everything that adorned the building from the outside and it's surroundings was constructed, built, or sculpted of the finest materials.

The car came to a halt as it arrived at the main entrance to the center building, presumably the main office.

Clark stepped out of the drivers' side of the car and walked around the back to open the door for Han, and Izayoi, a young woman, presumably a maid, greeted them, "Mr. Tokugawa, I hope you had a good trip Sr. I am Sally, please allow me to escort you directly towards Mrs. Cunningham's office, walk this way please…"

Han buttoned his dark blue pin-stripped blazer, removing imaginary lint from his sleeve, he dusted off his shoulder and address Iza, "Be on you best behavior, this is the best schooling you will ever be able to have young lady, a one time chance to be somebody in the future, if you blow it, it's back to Japan with you, and I promise I will send you off to one of your mothers' distant aunts and have you plant the mushy rice fields, do you understand?"

Izayoi felt her heart beat increase meaningfully, and tears prick her eyes, but she willed herself not to shed them, she nodded her head, "Hai, Han otou-san I understand."

Han turned around ignoring the hurt look on her face, she can be so like her mother when she wants to´ "Let's get this other with then, I have other things that are of utter most importance to attend to Izayoi, come along, let's not keep Mrs. Cunningham waiting for you."

They walked down an expensively furnished hall, up a grand set of stairs which could only be made out of red wood, guessing on how wild the wood streaks were spaced.

Han spotted the maid, waiting outside of a dark wood door, Han stopped in front of her, "Ms. Sally please usher us in to meet Mrs. Cunningham, if you may now?"

Then young maid bowed her head, and rapped lightly on the door, she opened the door a notch and announced that the visitors had arrived, "Mrs. Cunningham, I hope I don't disturb you, I have the eleven o'clock people outside, should I usher them in, ma'am?"

A tall thin lady in her late fifties, with graying hair, dressed in a dark purple one piece knee-length dress and black pumps, swung the exuberant large leather office chair around, "Han is here? Usher them in girl don't make him wait, he owns this institution now, if it weren't for him, we would have went broke last year, he acquired this school, giving me the money to pay my debts off, and in exchange I raise his ten year old daughter in American Culture, so bring them in, oh, and bring us tea afterwards, move!"

The girl opened the door all the way and bowed letting Han and Izayoi step in the office, the lady offered the twin chairs in front of the large oak wood desk, "Please take a seat, Mr. Tokugawa, is this the young lady that we were expecting?" she said as she raised her seeing glasses that hung off a chain around her neck to her dark brown eyes, "ah, Izayoi Tokugawa I take it, eh? Looks like a trouble maker to me."

Izayoi blushed and bowed showing her reverence and then sat next to her father.

"Very well then, lets get down to business, cutting the formalities short, let me introduce myself, I am Catherine Cunningham, the headmistress of this educational institution for young ladies, you will be here for the next eight years of your life, so you best start liking it,."

"Due to your fathers wishes for rapid integration into the system, you will start tomorrow early at 6:00 a.m. ; classes will last up to noon, then lunch at the cafeteria, after lunch you can enroll any extracurricular activities, such as art, physical education, or cavalry, rest and relaxation ours are from 3:00 to 5:00, homework is done from 5:00 to 6:00, dinner is from 6:00 to 6:30, 6:30 to 7:00 quiet or religious time, if you are not catholic you can stay in your room and meditate or do whatever it is you do to praise your Lord, lights out at 9:00 sharp."

"Your day without schooling will be Saturday which you can use to your own convenience, some girls enroll in horse ridding lessons, ballet, theater, drama club, singing, acting, nature walking, you name it, after it is hosted by a professor on campus it is fine, you are not to leave this institution without your guardian's written consent, we rest on Sundays, our catholic girls go to church early, and then their parents take them out for a time with the family, if you are not visited on Sunday you may stay inside the school perimeter, just don't try to make any other girl follow you religious beliefs, America is a free country, and at this Institution we strive to teach so, respect other girls' freedom and they will respect yours, if you have a problem address any teacher, professor, or myself, do not, under any circumstance take matters into your own hands."

"You are free to join any hobby, after it is not, pornography, drugs, prostitution, gambling, or breaking the law. This learning institution houses 60 teachers and professors, 50 maids, that includes cooks, maids, housekeepers, and 349 students making you #350. The institution itself occupies a majestic two acres on the whole ten acres of land, please try not to get lost, your living and sleeping quarters are on the fifth floor, west wing, north corridor, door number three hundred and fifty, please try not to get lost."

"Your father has brought everything that you shall need, if you need something else we will provide you with it, next to your door there is a console with three buttons, one is red that is the emergency button, one is yellow that is the button for room service if you are hungry, and one is white which is for a maid if you need something provided. These services shall not be abused, no men in the rooms at any time, do I make myself clear Ms. Tokugawa?"

Izayoi blinked feeling the information overload her scrambled brain, but nodded shyly, the lady looked from her to her father then back at her, and chuckled, "Very well then Ms. Tokugawa, that is all I have sent your luggage up to your room, rest well tonight, tomorrow will be a long day. You are excused,"

The lady shooed her off with a flick of the wrist, Izayoi bowed her respect and followed her father out the door, Han stood in front of his daughter, he looked her over one last time, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Be well daughter…" then he turned on his heel and walked down the corridor toward the stairs and out of the building, leaving her alone, frightened, and with a lot of strangers.

Izayoi turned on her heel but in the opposite direction, up the stairs toward her room, down the numbered and lettered corridors, following arrows and signs, sighing in relief when she found the door numbered #350 she turned the knob and walked inside, she was greeted with the presence of another girl sitting at her dresser rummaging through her trunks, she did a double take and looked at the number on the door to make sure that se had not mistaken for a different room number, #350 I. Tokugawa, read the silver shinny plate slide into place on the door, she frowned and pushed the door open wider, the blond girl lifted her head, and saw Iza standing in the doorway, flashing her a devious smile, she called out for others in the room.

"Hey girls the china is here, lets leave this shit alone and go, there was nothing good in finding in the first place, other two girls emerged from what Izayoi only guessed as her bathroom and closet area with pieces of her clothes in their hands, yeah no good find, they snickered and laughed as they threw the clothes on the floor, one spoke up, "Hey Mallory, looks like she don't understand you much there," "Yeah Mallory look at the lost puppy look on her face, bet she don't speak a rat's ass word in English,"

The other girl that was sitting at the dresser turned around and primped herself in the mirror, "Shut up both of you, if she is here, then that means that she does speak something at least, right China?" she asked as she used one of Izayoi's ivory combs.

Izayoi stood her ground speaking out in a clear and concise tone, "You are right Ms. Mallory, I do speak English just fine, but I am here because my father wants me to add to my knowledge, now I would appreciate it greatly if you make yourselves scarce from my room, I Izayoi Tokugawa, daughter to Han Tokugawa, the largest business tycoon in Okinawa, Japan, am Japanese not Chinese, now leave!"

All three girls exchanged glances and walked out of the room quietly, when they were gone, Izayoi allowed herself to shrink to the floor in a heap and a single tear slid down her cheek, then she realized that she was alone, that her father left her to her own luck and that this was the reason why Maeko and Kimie where crying.

Izayoi crawled to the door and pushed it closed, securing the lock, she stood and arranged the clothes onto hangers, then she took a long hot bath, changed into an oversized slip on t-shirt that smelled so much like home and crawled into the bed, she was so tired she went right to sleep, sleeping dreamlessly.

**Please Read & Review hugs Pinkit!**


	14. Explaining what happ in the first place

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

"_This chapter is the first of a quartet that deal with the explanation most of you need by now to understand the plot, I hope you have a lot of free time on your hands, this might take awhile. Also FanFiction for some odd reason is eating the double spacing I place in between my paragraphs, that is why I looks all squeezed in together. I'm sorry for this, I now it is a pain in the arse to read, but until I now how to fix, they will continue looking that way, so sorry __L_

**Summary: **A late prologue? The first part of the explanation of how we got to this point in the first place?

Events take place in January 1970, while Toga's father is still alive.

"I was listening to Koaru Wada - Barabara No Nenju, while i wrote this chapter, I don't know it just screams inner turmoil to me..."

_Yeah thanks for reading our little story…Ja ne!_

**A Mapped Life:**

_January 12th 1970, Taisho Estate, Okinawa – Japan:_

It was a fair sunny afternoon, the wind played with the chimes that hung in the archway entrance towards the indoor terrace, all was quiet other than that sound, two figures sat on plush cushions at the low table in the middle of the vast terrace that looked out toward the lush green Zen garden located in the east wing of the Estate, a maid brought a tray with assorted obento boxes, fruit, a steaming pot of tea, and cups for both of them.

After the maid bowed her reverence, she stood and left, sliding the opaque shoji door closed. The figure dressed in a formal aqua colored kosode, paired with a darker hakama that matched his grey-blue mane and sea blue eyes, reached for the tea pot, pouring tea for both of them, he spoke, "Tell me Ken, what is so important that you had to call me over for a tea party?"

The other figure sitting at the table sneered at the last comment, flicking his ever-so-long silver topknot over his shoulder, patted down his pristine silver pelt and then crossed his dark grey silk kosode covered arms, leaning back against the wooden support pillar that held the shingled roof sturdy, as he looked out over the garden at the koi pond, he spoke as he watched a koi eat a dragonfly;

"The predators are threatening dear friend, the Yakuza want me to sell the South Oiling District, as you know we are the last centennial-old youkai alive, but I fear it will not be that way for long, since I have no intention to sell the south district, because it is the part of Taisho Enterprises that funds my other companies and projects. Takumi I know I will die before the new moon, they think that having me murdered gives them the power to take over; what they don't know is that my son and heir is of age, to sire an heir for himself keeping my bloodline strong and eternal…"

The other youkai, slammed his fist on to the table causing both cups to tip over and spill their content over the side of the low table, "Stop talking nonsense, Ken! You are the Inu no Taisho for Kami's sake! Nobody can stand up to you!"

"I talk no nonsense Takumi! I know I grow old with age, and sooner or later I will be killed, and I know it will be by the Yakuza's hand, the right hand in fact, I know it will be Ryuukossei himself that will deliver the final blow, Tak-kun my bloodline is in danger of extinction, the silver Inu bloodline must stay strong, that is why I want to settle an arraigned marriage between our first born children, I need Lora to marry Toga and have his child, after the child is born they can divorce and find their life mates, please Takumi give me your support on this?"

The other Inu youkai stroked his blue grey pelt, which hung over his left shoulder and down his back as he spoke, "What about breaking Sou'unga out of the memory closet you have it hidden away in, and slap some dragon hide around you and me both just like old times, eh?"

Ken punched a hole in the hardwood floor, trying to dissuade his anger and frustration, he had so much more to live for, but he knew that he wouldn't ever get to see it, not his first grandchild, nor his great-grandchildren, being a youkai, an Inu youkai at that, he had to secure his bloodline before he passed, and that was what he was doing;

"I am ill my friend, the last time I used Sou'unga something happened, something not even modern youkai medicine can explain, something is eating me away from the inside, I thought I had a few more years left using my regenerative capabilities as youkai and all, but if I have to go into battle with Sou'unga again I know it will be my last, that sword, that sword needs to be destroyed, it is pure evil Takumi, swear you will never give it to Toga, swear you will have one forged from my fangs even if I am on my deathbed, promise me friend, there is no body else I can trust in…"

Takumi's eyes grew dark with unfettered rage, "why didn't you tell me that you were ill Ken-kun? Why did you wait until the damage was too far along? Are you sure Toga will be alright with this Ken? Have you already told him what is going on? You know he likes to have options…"

Toga observed the far wall of the Estate, then looked back at Takumi who remained seated in front of him, anger mixed with his youki, which lashed out at the air around them killing the subtle mood;

"Takumi, I don't think we have anytime left to give them a choice, it has to be done, I mean Lora already likes him, haven't you seen and smelled how she acts when you come over for dinner, she flirts with him all the time, Lora loves him,"

Takumi leaned up over the table and grabbed Ken by the collar, sneering at his life long friend and ally, "But Toga doesn't love her, I know it for a fact, If they get married she will be unhappy, I don't want her to wither away, I know how cruel he can be, and Lora has never been taught to submit not even to me, he could kill her!"

Ken scrunched up his eyebrows disbelievingly, "You think you are going to sit there and tell me that your first born female has never been taught to submit? Being daughter of one of the ruling Inu Youkai, Oh come on! I might have a soft spot for females, and I might be getting old, but don't you dare expect me to believe that shit! Every female is born and taught to submit to the ruling male, they have to know when to speak, and when to back down, following orders is what keeps them alive!"

Ken shrugged off Takumi's hand, and leaned his elbow on the table as Takumi stood up and started to pace stopping every now and then to look at Ken out of the corner of his eye insecurity radiating off him in waves, Ken was hiding his mirth behind a mouthful of cold hakkao, then he spoke as he reached for an onigiri roll, "Well old dog, aren't you going to tell me why your daughter hasn't been taught to submit? How is it that when you are invited over she acts so submissive then?"

Takumi plopped down on his cushion and stabbed a siumai with his chopstick, "She was schooled in a ningen institution, her mother wanted her to be a socialite, a scholar, maybe even graduate from college and work as a professional, she was never taught to submit, because in her mothers living quarters there are only female servants, and I never go there, she is submissive in front of people she is afraid of, or people she likes, she is afraid of you, but she likes Toga, so that is all the more reason for her to act that way when we dine together, that is just the way she is by nature."

Ken barked out a thunderous laugh, waving his chopsticks in the air, "And you never thought she would consider a mate, or being married then? What if she mated with somebody behind your back one day, and she almost got killed? There is only one order that a full Inu demon speaks before taking his mate, you and I both now what it is, so if she wasn't taught to, then she would have been slaughtered on the spot, trying to act like a human female and take the initiative in bedtime activities, oh Kami-sama! Tak teach her how to submit within a weeks time, the wedding is next Monday, I will schedule a dinner meeting for Toga and Lora to speak with us present, I will tell Toga today, don't tell her yet, let's see what I come up with to make him think like he had a choice, you know how Toga is…"

Takumi laughed heartedly at that, "Yeah, I know my godson very well, he thinks that he should always have a choice, let him think he chose Lora, and by the way what will the Takisho bloodline gain from this marriage and birth?"

Ken pulled a dark leather checkbook out of his inner kosode pocket, he opened it and look the fine tipped pen from it's holder from inside the leather book also, writing the amount on the check and signing it, he tore the rectangular piece of paper and slid the check towards the middle of the table, Takumi picked it up and read it, his eyebrows shooting up under the thick fringe of his pristine blue grey silky mass of bangs, he shook his head incredibly, "three million dollars?! This is a whole lot of money Ken; it is triple its worth in Japanese Yen! Just for an arraigned marriage I think it's too much!"

Ken shook his head and raised his clawed hand calming his friend down, "settle down Takumi, it is not only for the marriage, but for the fact that if I die before the marriage, you will keep your word to see to it that they are married, and that they move out of Japan for the time Lora is with child, they will need guards, so you should call Kenichii and Kentaro to accompany them and guard them, they are to go to the Mansion in Boston and Ren is to keep the child safe, see to it my dear friend, I have nobody else to trust in, other than you," with this Ken extended his hand to Takumi and shared a warrior grip as they looked into each others eyes and nodded agreeing on what needed to be done. Takumi folded the check and slid it into his inner kosode pocket.

Then they sat and enjoyed the rest of the obento lunch and tea, telling stories of thing that happened while they grew up together, enjoying each others company, since this meeting could possibly be the last time they got to see each other alive.

What they didn't know was that a third figure stood downwind from them, thus explaining how they weren't aware he was there the whole time, a devious smile played out on his lips his eerie yellow eyes dancing with mischief, he jumped over the wall surrounding the Estate, running over rooftops to deliver the inside information to his master, the right hand of the Yakuza himself, Ryuukossei.

**Please Read and Review, Ja ne! Pinkit!**


	15. Vol 2: Nekos in Trees

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

"_Alright people! I must apologize for the long delay, I have been on the thin side of the health-o-meter lately, severe headaches, and migraine, not to mention stress, but well all is well, I feel a lot better, after spending a few hours in the Emergency room today."_

"_This chapter is dedicated to my outstanding reviewer __** [Captain Applesauce ´**__ Thanks for the feedback and thorough examination of my plot girl!"_

"_We writers feel good when someone takes their valuable time, and writes us a little something to keep the ideas boiling."_

_Grins_

"_Hey Pedro, wakey wakey! Time to go to work you bum!"_

_Groan, mumble, groan_

_Pinkit cranks the music, waking Pedro._

"_Here goes chapter 15 of a Mapped Life, an extra long chapter, just because I took to long to update, I apologize guys. I am posting it know before I tamper with it more, and then it will lose all semblance of whatever I had planned in the beginning for this chapter." ___

_**Summary**_Volume 2 of the late Prologue, important events that will be referenced in the future...

This chapter is dedicated to [Precious Thank you for your very inspiring review girl, I hope you keep on reading it :)

Ï was listening to The Yoshida Brothers - Blooming, while i wrote this chapter, it just screamed pursuit´ to me, I hope you like it!"

**A Mapped Life:**

_Evening of January 12th 1970, Taisho Estate, Okinawa – Japan:_

The same maid that had taken the bento lunch out to the Ruling Lords continued to dust of the china in the living room area.

Her name? Emi, with a curvy and voluptuous figure, standing five foot six, a rounded plump ass, small hands and feet, gold hair and caramel eyes, the female Inu was all her name stood for, Beauty'

Humming a lazy tune to herself her as delicate fingers twirled the feather duster to and fro in rhythm to the song only she heard. She glanced at the wall clock, 6:15 p.m.

'_Only forty five more minutes and she would be in her lovers' arms, Kentaro, what a hunk!'_

Partner of Kenichii who was also something worth looking at, tonight was her night off, and she was going to enjoy it thoroughly;

"Maybe we'll go down to the new western restaurant, and get a burger',"

she grinned exposing a full deck of razor sharp teeth, the female canines, not so long as a males', but still impressively sharp and deadly, she drifted off into a daydream, imagining her lover in his new blue car, his copper mane loose, fluttering in the wind, his icy blue eyes deep and provocative, and she had him all to herself, she squealed in delight, shuddering at the thought.

Suddenly a shadow emerged from behind the west wall of the Estate, pounced on the edge of the wall and jumped off and beyond her view, Emi frowned, having watched too much American subbed detective series, she straightened her French maid uniform, ruffled her hair, and tiptoed over to the shoji door, walking out of the surrounding terrace, she skipped down the steps, wearing only tabi socks, she inhaled a few times, trying to pick up the scent of the intruder, she ran over to the wall where she saw the figure emerge; sniffing the wall, she made out a peculiar scent, neko, and not any neko, if her trusted youkai senses didn't fail her, it was the Yakuza's trusted messenger that was here, _how did he cheat security?´_

Emi jumped up to the shingles trying to catch a glimpse of the fleeing figure of the Yakuza spy.

Being able to see a red ninja uniform flutter over the edge of a rooftop, she then jumped into action, running over the roof, the shingles pattering with the slight weight of her petite form; she jumped down onto the gravel in the Zen garden in front of the Taisho himself.

Ken startled and stood up as he saw his housekeeper fall in an unladylike crouch from the shingles, "Emi, what on Kami's sweet earth were you doing jumping on the roof?!"

Emi bowed her respect and reverences to both lords, "Taisho-sama! Gomen! But I seem to have seen somebody spying on you, I saw a figure jump over the wall, and when I jumped up onto the shingles, I saw a neko in the red ninja robe! It smells like Yakuza!" She exclaimed waving her delicate clawed hands in the air, then pointed to the wall, "It was over there Taisho-sama!"

Ken looked at Takumi, who was half drunk on sake, and he himself had his share of the rice liquor too, he stalked over to the wall, Takumi hot on his heels, he took one sniff and coughed in disgust, "Emi get Kentaro and Kenichii on the phone, quickly! Tell them to stop that damn cat at any cost, tell them to bring the scum back here, now!"

Emi ran into the house dialing the number to the warehouse district, where Taisho undercover operations were handled.

Other than owning their own Textile Empire, the cousins Kentaro and Kenichii worked as security, or better yet specialized body guards for the Inu no Taisho himself, since they turned of age and proved their worth, they handled all the dirty work, for the Taisho, in a discrete and invisible fashion, so if it were discovered, that rare was the case, it could not be traced back to the Taisho.

The phone rang once, twice, three times, and then a lazy hello sounded on the other line,

_MoshMoshi? Taro speaking..._

"Oh, Taro, come quick, a spy was eavesdropping on the conversation Lord Taisho and Lord Takisho were having!"

_Emi? Emi baby, there is no need to make up stories to see me sooner love, I'll be there in half an hour, or so…_

"No you ass! It has nothing to do with tonight's plans, there was a Yakuza spy here! I think he overheard something important your boss was talking about, but he didn't go after him, they both had a little too much sake today…so put your ass into gear, he is heading west toward your location say fifteen minutes ago. The boss wants him stopped at any cost, bring him back dead or alive, so move it!"

_Good girl Emi, just stop watching __Starsky and Hutch__ babe, you're sounding too much like them, where on it sexy!_

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Taro approached his cousin who had dozed off, on the office chair, with his leather clad feet atop the desk; he pushed Kenichii's feet off the desk causing him to loose balance and flail his arms desperately trying to regain his balance.

Kentaro didn't bother look back as he heard his cousin curse him as he landed in a heap on the floor, he picked up his keys, jumping down the wooden stairs, and he pulled the cover off his 1970 special edition blue Ford Torino, gift of the Taisho himself. He signaled for two other men to keep watch and open the warehouse door.

The warehouse was large, sweaty, and humid, typical hanger-type structure, with a loft office and a repair shop off to a side, which served as Taro's personal body shop, while they sat and waited for orders to be given by the Taisho, Taro worked on the bikes and cars, while Ichi managed the textile company. They were the complete opposite, Taro being hotheaded, ill tempered, gruff and short-fused, served as the brawn and Ichi being stoic, cold, manipulative, smart business and street-wise; served as the brain of the operation.

Ichi managed to jump into the passengers side of the car just as Taro started to maneuver out of the warehouse, combing his sweaty auburn forelocks back with his hands, he yanked on Taro's copper forelocks, causing him to brake instantly;

"Now that you're paying attention, tell me what the fuck crawled up your ass and died?! Something has to be extremely wrong for you to pull the 'rino out for a stroll Taro, what the fuck is wrong!"

Taro pushed Ichi's clawed hand away, rubbing the sore on his scalp, "Ichi there was a Yakuza spy at the Taisho Estate, twenty minutes ago, Emi called, said that Old dog Taisho and Old man Takumi had some hard Sake, and the cat heard what they discussed, it has to be something big for Taisho to want him stopped at any measure. Now can we go? That neko is jumping roofs!"

"Fine! Floor it then! You maneuver and I will snatch him out of the air, let's get moving Taro!"

Taros' eyes gleamed, and he laughed maniacally in anticipation, flooring the gas pedal the car swerved out of the warehouse district, heading straight in the opposite direction of the Yakuza district, they both knew that the spy was slow to return with information, trying not to lead anyone to the exact pinpoint location of his master.

Taro revved the engine, when they met up with the traffic jam on 46th and Honda Avenue. Mid afternoon traffic and people coming home from work providing a swell diversion for the neko, Kenichii reached for his sunglasses, rolled down the window to lean out of it, covering his grey eyes with his hand scoping the rooftops, he spotted a red hood, he signaled to Kentaro flashing his pearly with canines, in complete exuberance, the hunt was on!

Taro cranked the car into reverse, maneuvering his way out of the traffic, drifting down the exit ramp on 52nd Boulevard, where the buildings were all made out of red brick, the sidewalks grey and the people cluttering the streets of downtown Okinawa.

He swerved into a parking lot, giving Ichi enough time to climb out of the passenger side, and jump up onto the fire exit ladder, climbing the rickety steel stair with all the dexterity of a cat, Ichi jumped up onto the roof top and sniffed for the neko's; trace,

Finding a piece of torn red silk, he sniffed it, 'bingo!' Ichi raised his chin, sniffing the area thoroughly, he crouched slipping the piece of silk into his trouser pocket, he slinked over to another rooftop, and then another, swiftly following the trail the cat left behind.

He kept that pace for another ten minutes, reaching the spot where an old building overlooked a park, and sub sequentially a lake, he examined the area, feeling a presence behind him, he spoke,

"Well, cat you practically painted the trail for me to follow you, now tell me what you heard?"

The neko stood in a indifferent slouch, the torn hood covering his face, his body covered in the red silk material, his eerie yellow eyes dancing with mirth as he smirked,

"Oh now now, don't get your undies in a twist, I heard nothing of great importance puppy, just the fact that now the Master will know that the almighty and invincible the one and only Inu No Taisho, is dying..."

Kenichii did a double take, loosing his balance momentarily, flailing his arms out to regain posture and not fall of the shingled roof, he turned around and pointed a deadly sharp clawed finger at the neko, "You Lie! Speak no more of your nonsense you fool!"

Ichi slashed out, aiming for the throat, the neko cart-wheeled back, following up with back flips over various rooftops landing atop a tree in the park, Ichi hot on his trail landed on the paved path under the tree, "come down here this instant you idiot! Fight like a man!"

The neko taunted and purred down to Kenichii, "ah but that is where you stupid dogs fail, we are not anything like men, we youkai are superior! Once the Master dethrones and kills the filthy dog, then the superior youkai race will have control! And then we wont't have to live hidden anymore!"

Kenichii had enough, he reached back and pulled out a dagger carved from the Taisho's fang from his vest pocket and aimed, "Rah!" he hit the neko square in the larynx, coughing sounds followed by a loud sickening thump and crack as the neko feel out of the tree, his body landed in an unnatural form arms bent behind the back, knees bent forward, Taro chose that moment to join in "Well at least that's one way to knock a damn stupid cat out of a tree!"

Ichi snorted and stoically walked over to the fallen neko, he pushed the dagger farther through the windpipe, killing the spy, Taro looked disgusted, "Kami Ichi-ne! He said dead or alive, not slaughtered!"

Kenichii pulled the dagger out of the now deceased body, a squishy sick pop was heard as the last bit of air left the throat that was now flooded in blood, the face of the fallen neko frozen in frigid fear and pain, Kenichii flicked his wrist splattering the body with the remains of blood that trickled down the steel blade of the dagger, he calmly walked over to the fountain next to some benches in the park.

Rinsing the blade off he wiped it on the hood of the costume the spy wore, re sheathing it, he pulled a pack of Marlboro reds out of his vest pocked, smacking the pack twice on his open palm, he pulled a cigarette out and stuck it the corner of his mouth putting the pack away he spoke around the unlighted cigarette, "Move your ass Taro! We need to get that piece of filth out of this clearing, not a single human soul can see this, I suggest you find something to wrap it in, someone once told me neko blood is tricky to wash out, and it smells like three bloody hells when dried in the sun..."

Kentaro snorted at the retreating figure of his cousin, he extended a black cloth used to wrap the bodies in to take and dispose, not being able to leave a youkai body in early stage of decomposition in the middle of a human park, he lifted the neko's lifeless body, and threw it onto the cloth, rapidly rolling the body up, he hefted it over his shoulder, he walked quickly over to the parked car popping the truck he folded the body and threw it haphazardly inside, slamming the truck closed he marched over to the drivers' side, jumping in and revving the engine, Kenichii pushed the cars' lighter in to heat the coal, the black holder popped out a minute later, he brought the lighter to the tip of the cigarette puffing out smoke rings to thoroughly light the stick, then pushed the lighter back in its holder, and rolled down his window, Taro geared into drive, pulling the car out of the parking lot, and heading towards Taisho Estate to delivery their package.

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The large solid rosewood and steel gates opened giving the Blue Torino entrance to the white graveled parking lot, two figures stepped out of the car, one threw a blunt on the gravel stepping on it, he straightened his grey vest and tucked his hands in his pockets, the other walked over to the trunk and extracted the kill, hefting the deceased spy over his shoulder, they both made their way over to the back steel door of the "guest house" where the Taisho managed all of the dark and dirty business that had to be conducted, at one time or another.

The figure dressed in expensive slacks, matching vest, and white button-down designer long-sleeved shirt tapped twice on the door, a peep hole slid open, the figure on the other side of the door sighted the specialist and closed the peep whole again, sliding the locks out of place he opened the door letting both of them in, they made their way towards the middle of the room, the figure dressed in leather and black wife beater threw a body bag on the floor, the tall presence in the room covered his delicate nose with a handkerchief, flicking his wrist indicating for the servant to pick it up and burn it, he spoke, "Jin get ride of it quickly before it stinks up the place, good job boys orderly and quiet just as always, did you confess him before he died?" Taro looked at Ichi and shrugged, Kenichii crossed his arms and responded, "nothing of least importance now boss, the Yakuza will never find out any how…not now, not ever, I made sure he would never be able to talk again…"

The Taisho moved over to both greeting them both with a pat on the back, he asked them to join him for a drink, all three sat at the bar, serving their on drinks, the heard as the Taisho spoke, "well boys, we need your permanent services, Taro will marry Lora out of obligation and they will have my first grandchild, birthing the first heir to Taisho Enterprises, that will belong to my son Toga Inu no Taisho in a few weeks or so, you will protect them at any cause, the Right Hand will come after me soon, you are not to interfere, you will keep them safe, and take them out of Japan if it is necessary do not come back until the child is old enough to hold a sword. Do you understand?"

Both of the youkai nodded and shared a long glance at each other, and then each bowed their reverence to the Taisho, rapidly exiting the building, walking back to the car, and back to the warehouse, to wait out another order.

Kenichii was thinking about what the Taisho had said, "Toga will marry Lora out of obligation,"

Kentaro braked and looked over towards Kenichii, "Cousin, let it be, Lora is to cold, to cold and manipulative to belong to the Inu Youkai species, she would never have done you any good. She is a fortune hunter, just let her go, there are others out there worth what you are, don't think about it so much, ok?"

Kenichii sneered and glared at him, "Taro, she has always been the one I want, always since we were children and our nannies brought us to Taisho Estate to play together, since we started schooling and her mother sent her off to study abroad I thought I would die of melancholy that day, I thought I would never see her again, and now that she is back, they want to marry her off to Toga, I mean what the Fuck Kentaro!"

Taro snorted, and geared into drive again, pulling out of the graveled entrance, driving through the gates and down the busy streets toward the warehouse, "Well Ichi maybe they'll divorce after the heir is born, ne?"

Kenichii looked at Kentaro in disbelief, "you don't get it do you? I was not supposed to happen this way, I was supposed to be her first and only alpha, and she is my mate dammnit!"

Taro's eyebrows shot up under his bangs, but he decided to not comment anymore on the subject, _Would Ichi be capable of treason against Toga? ´_

He shook his head to clear the ugly thoughts of it all out of his head;

_They are childhood friends! Of course he wouldn't plot treason against Toga! ´ _

Besides he had to concentrate on the late model Ducati he was reconstructing,

_Yeah! The Ducati…´_

**Please Read & Review!**


	16. Vol 3: Tunnel Vision

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

"Hello Hello!

I am so glad to be back, I have been working on this difficult chapter for a long time, I have dediced to post it now before i do anything else with it, and it doesn't look like anything i had planned for this chapter afterwards; and I also had a small issue here with Pedro, he decided to abandon ship, but I found him hog-tied him and brought him back!

Jaja! Serves you right for trying to run away!

I would like to give thanks and a **large Bouquet of lilies and roses** to **"[Precious"** who takes time out of her horribly hectic college life to encourage me to keep writing, Thank you! Thank you so very much girl, people like you keeps writers like me wanting to keep sharing our treasured stories with our small crowd of dedicated readers.

I must **"WARN YOU"** that this chapter contains torture and death of a character; explicit situations take place, which is why this fic is rated **M – for explicit behavior and sexual content!**

**Summary: **Warning character torture and death in this chapter

I was listening to: Koaru Wada - Chichi no Ken, from Inuyasha Movie 3 OST, while i wrote this chapter.

The next chapter is the last filler chapter I promise, I just need to finish explaining the mess of everything I had made. I'm so sorry guys!

Well then all things settled I welcome you to read chapter sixteen of **A Mapped Life: Tunnel Vision."**

Morning of January 13th 1970, Takisho Estate, Okinawa Japan:

Takumi marched down the polished wood corridors towards the Chief Wife living area, where he would meet with his wife to discuss an important matter, which she was not informed of yet.

Chiyo was a purebred royal; her pure bloodline one of the six ancient Inu Youkai bloodlines descending from Anubis himself, progenitor of the Inu Youkai species on earth and Lord Father to all Inu youkai, her father had set up an arraigned marriage with the First in Command for the Dog General Taisho. And she accepted her fate honorably, up taking her place a the left hand side of her husband at every social convention, and Ruling Bloodline Congress Meetings, but she had only one child, a daughter, that was her only fault.

The birthing of the first child was troublesome, almost costing her her own life, for Takumi's bloodline was that of a poisonous Inu Youkai nature, which bore the seal of the turquoise crescent moon on the forehead in all forms, humanoid and True Inu, the child was born with poison claws which in Chiyo's case tore open her inner walls and was declared forbidden to birth another, if she did, she would exchange her life for the newborn. Lora their daughter inherited this seal and both their pure bloodlines, which made her a treasure, and could be given in marriage for a stronger alliance.

In Inu youkai law the fathers got to raise and train the male children to be Lords and rulers, and the wives or mothers got to keep the female children, educating them to mannerisms they would have to employ if the were promised in marriage in exchange for a stronger bloodlines and alliance.

For this reason Takumi was left with a female heir, not being able to marry another or mate out of agreement for a male child to rise as heir, due to the contract signed by both of them before the mating to ensure that all of the clauses were complied with. He could not take a concubine to produce a male heir, for it would disgrace his honor and break the alliance with the Tanaka House, Chiyo's Lord Father.

Later on Chiyo made a public petition at the Lora's' sixteenth birthday asking Takumi to not promise her only daughter in marriage, in exchange for alliance to another House, petition which he did not agree to, and thus causing Chiyo to move into a Wives' living quarters on the other side of the Takisho Estate.

Area to which Takumi had just arrived at; a servant girl dressed in dark blue work linens bowed low and knelt opening the shoji screen allowing him to enter, also revealing Chiyo and Lora seated on large overstuffed cushions, dressed in the family colors and emblem the turquoise crescent moon, their hair pulled up in intricate hives with ornaments and beads protruding from it, holding the elaborate hairstyle in place; both of the women nodded delicately acknowledging his presence, as Takumi bowed slightly, then seated himself atop a vacant cushion meant for him to occupy.

Chiyo extended her hand and picked up a porcelain cup, setting it on the side of the low table Takumi occupied she then proceeded to fill it with ocha; serving Lora, and herself afterwards. All three of them took a first sip of the herbal tea, and then looked expectantly around the table at each other.

Takumi decided to break the dark silence, he looked at Chiyo directly, then at Lora, "My beloved wife, lady of this house, Chiyo-sama, The Taisho has spoken, he has given me direct orders and they involve our daughter Lora, she must learn to submit to a male in five days time, for she will be married to the Taisho's only son Toga. She must be ready for the mating before the end of the week, the orders are final, your passports have been suspended temporarily Chiyo-sama, neither you nor Lora can exit the Estate before Sunday morning when we part for the Taisho Estate to attend the signing of the contract and the Mating."

With everything said he stood and bowed paying respect to his wife, which had a very sour look on her face, then exited Chiyo's living quarters, his footsteps over the tatami mats were silent and quick, though he stopped altogether before reaching the shoji screen, he looked over his shoulder at his daughter and then his wife, "It has to be done this way Chiyo, the Taisho needs us right now, he needs to secure an heir to his bloodline, and he has honored us with that privilege, it will be an arraigned marriage, and they can divorce as soon as the child is weaned off the mothers milk, soon you will understand why it shall be done, there is no need to plot against me."

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Lora was excited to hear the news, she would be marrying the son of the Taisho, she had always admired and cared for Toga secretly, although Kenichii said she was more than obvious sometimes, her dreams were soon to come true, she would be married and pregnant with Toga's first child by next week, Lora smiled as her mother looked at her with sad eyes, which she didn't understand, she was getting married to the man she had loved secretly since grade school, and her mother didn't look happy about it at all,

_sometimes mother is so hard to comprehend…´_

Both Lora and Chiyo watched as Takumi walked out of the room and down the hall, when Chiyo was sure that he was out of youkai hearing range, she spoke, "Lora, you will do as your father orders, I have made a mistake raising you as if you were human, you never learned to submit to a male Inu, and that has been my crime, now that you need this knowledge, I must show you how to be a proper Inu Bitch in less than a weeks time, come with me, we shall start immediately."

Both women stood and walked down the hall towards the weapons chamber. Chiyo had always feared this day, and now thick tears ran down her impossibly long eyelashes, marring her porcelain white skin. The daughter she always raised to be perfect, and speak her minds worth would now be brainwashed to believe males were superior, and should do as told no questions asked. A somber expression adorned her face as they reached the door to the reformed dungeon; the door was opened by a tall regal Inu Youkai, known as Kira, the Takisho House pain giver, and executioner. His face was covered in a leather mask, and he wore black slacks and a grey t-shirt. His black hair was woven in a tall braid; his massive arms were almost bizarre with the amount of muscle they bulked.

Chiyo sat on a cement bench outside of the barred cell where Kira lead Lora into, Lora blinked confused as Kira produced a long star-tipped leather whip. What was able to be seen of Kira's face was evil in every way as he stretched the whip over his head and growled out a command in Inu which Lora did not understand at all, _"Submit!"_ since she did nothing after the command, Kira brought the whip down over Lora's shoulder ripping her haori sleeve open.

Lora bared her fangs screaming in pain, she lashed out blindly with her poisoned claws at her attacker, as she claimed to her mother to help her, seeing that her feeble attack did nothing to fend off the brute she clung to the cell bars begging her mother to help her, "Mother…please help me i don't deserve this, I know I don't!" all Chiyo did was flick her wrist for Kira to continue the torture, they had to break Lora's will in anyway possible before the mating, if they didn't Toga's youkai could kill her for not submitting in bed. "I'm sorry baby this is for your own good, Kira go ahead!"

Kira barked out the command again, Lora did nothing, he barked again and at the same time brought the whip down fast against her back twice, ripping the haori open, exposing Lora's breast bindings, all she could think about as she feel to her knees on the cold grimy brick floor was, _'why mother?'_

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The command was issued for another day and a half, and was not answered, no food nor water was provided, she tried to escape by using her claws to melt the steel bars standing between her and her freedom from this retched place, which only made things worst for her, earning her the anger from her torturer, he cuffed her left arm and leg to the wall, and changed the star-tipped whip to a bull whip, by the end of the second day Lora's voice was hoarse from screaming, she felt faint, never having to go this long without food or water, her blood pumped slower through her veins she felt her heart skip a beat more than twice as the whip cracked open uneven scars on her torso, and when she opened her eyes her mother was still seated in the cement bench, outside of her prison, but everything was a blur, as she closed her eyes she heard her mothers' voice yell something like, "harder Kira!" as she whimpered and tried to curl up in a ball but the cuffs stopped her from doing so, that horrid command was issued again, Lora called out to her mother for knowledge.

"What does it mean mother?!"

She couldn't do anything else than scream as the whip tore open the delicate flesh between her shoulder blades, Lora screamed bloody murder, she quivered in fear, shivered in disgust, her body completely covered in dirt, grime, blood and her own urine.

She coughed, and pulled on the cuffs that held her captive, her torturer laughed gleefully seeing that she was still active, no one had lasted this long in his dungeon and under his Spanish bull whip, she was a feisty one this Lora Takisho, Kira punched the air out of her just for the fun of it, causing her to empty the contents of her stomach, which was no more than thick bile, Lora supported herself with an arm as she called out to her mother;

"Mother, father, Toga, Kenichii, anybody! Help me, please help me, why mother why? What does it mean? Why am I here?"

Lora broke out into a desperate river of tears, Kira barked out the command again. She did not understand, she did nothing she lay still to see if that buffered the anger of her torturer, it had the opposite effect, the whip came down hard over her back, baring her once delicate skin which was now puffy and bleeding from the deep cuts the bull whip produced, her ribs where starting to show, and the bruises were a colorful gamma of blue, yellow and purple.

Kira stepped over her and tore the remains of her clothes from her body, exposing her broken naked body to his lustful eyes, he barked the command again, Lora crawled backwards and pushed her back into the wall trying to disappear from this horrid place, she felt faint from the lack of food and water, weakly she leaned her head back against the brick wall, screwing her eyes closed waiting for the crack of the whip and a new cut to mark her skin, and maybe just maybe end this torture that her life had become, for this hell to come to an end once and for all.

Then whip cracked against the wall, for a moment she thought that maybe he had missed his aim, but when she leaned her head back against the wall she had consequentially bared her neck to him, submitting in the Inu youkai form.

_That's it! This is what mother does when father looks at her that way, she gives him reason, raising her chin to him, or is it baring her neck? This is what they are trying to teach me! ´_

Kira's thunderous laugh echoed through out the dungeon, celebrating that he broke the will of another willful and witty Inu youkai bitch, again, it was a task he took much pleasure in, and this time, he had the honor to break the Lord's daughter, she was fit for an arranged marriage now, his task was done, he repeated the command numerous times more, Lora responded baring her neck every time, but when she took too long responding he would bring the whip down again.

By morning on the third day, the Lord Takumi himself came down to the dungeon, his youki crackling over the bricked walls, fighting to be released to free his daughter from the tiresome torture he had thrust upon her to break her will.

He reached the cell where she lay prostrate on the floor her once silvery-blue hair, was now a dull shade of copper, matted with her own blood and bodily excretions, her once creamy white skin was an unhealthy shade of purple, the scabs where the whip met the skin crisscrossed in every direction, showing that she had tried to avoid being hit, death was slowly starting to creep over his once beautiful daughter, Kira issued the command again, but Lora was too weak to move anymore, he called out the command as he raised the bullwhip overhead to punish her again, but his hand was paused by a strong clawed grip.

Takumi's eyes were a fierce crimson with green pupils; his claws punctured Kira's skin like a knife through butter as he barked out "Enough Kira!" Kira dropped the whip and bared his neck to his Lord; Takumi grabbed him by the neck cutting through his skin and slammed him into the nearest wall. Then he yanked the cuffs off the wall and then slid them off Lora's' delicate hand and foot, he removed his outer haori and wrapped it around her frail form, picking her up and carrying her bridal style out of the dungeon he ran toward the healers' quarters in the Estate, Lora had lost consciousness. Lord Takumi left Chiyo in the dungeon, sulking in her own thoughts.

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Takumi arrived at the healer's living quarters brief minutes after; the healer was a Hawk youkai, tall with a head covered in long feathers, brawny upper torso and arms, his eyes a piercing yellow. He was currently drinking his morning ocha, but soon had the cup knocked from his hand by an angered Lord, who was about to turn primal, he held another being possibly youkai bundled in his dirty outer haori.

The hawk's beaklike nose twitched in disgust, "what is that horrid decaying smell my Lord?"

His lord bared his fangs and growled low in warning, the hawk nodded and pointed to his examination table, Takumi walked over to it and lowered Lora gently on to it, the healer made quick work of unwrapping her from the cloth, and examining her wounds, his eyes widened as he realized of who the person that his lord brought in was, the feathers on the back of his neck bristled as he looked up at his lord,

"Lord Takisho, I need to call Emi to have her help me cure Lady Lora immediately!"

Takumi nodded and disappeared down the hall, transforming into his energy sphere form, he reappeared shortly after with Emi in his wake, the healer signaled for her to come closer and bring tonics and cotton gauze, they first had to clean the wounds out, then Emi would give her a sponge bath, after that he could then look at the damage closely and apply treatment.

Takumi sat in the corner of the room, his head bowed in deep thought, he soon feel asleep for the time his daughter had spent in the dungeon he did not rest, her screams reaching his delicate hearing racking his brain and were slowly driving him crazy.

The healer's only thought as they worked to clean the scabbed blood from the cuts so her skin wouldn't scar was, _'what exactly happened to you Lady Lora…?'_

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Toga arrived back at the Taisho estate, late in the afternoon, his flight was back from the office Taisho Enterprises held in Abu Dhabi, since their primary product was oil, it was only right for them to own lands and oil extracting bases in that country. He was sent to the general oiling base in replacement of his father to go in and conduct the yearly revision and make sure that everything was running smoothly.

As Toga set foot in the Estate he felt his father's youki permeate the air, it was stale and somber, almost sickening,

"Father? Where are you?"

Toga quickly assumed his energy sphere form and searched the Estate for his father, only to find him in the Armory, sitting, almost slouching over a wooden bench, So'unga in his grasp, with some sort of red feelers protruding from the hilt of the sword feeding freely off his immortal blood sucking the life out of him.

Toga knelt next to his father, shaking his shoulder gently to awaken him, Ken mumbled and groaned in protest, how come his father was going through this alone, the feelers protruding from the swords grip were feeding from the space that was almost always dressed in leather cuffs that covered his whole forearms, but the spaces where the skin was not covered by the feelers was marred with dark brown scars.

Toga felt a knot rise in his throat, as he started tearing through the evil things, which made the sword cry in protest, its source of nourishment was being yanked away from him. The sword that once helped his father forge his empire in the times before the kings started to claim the earth was now sucking his father dry, the smell of death slowly lingered amongst his regal fresh mountain musk, his father was at death's door, and he had not been aware of it, by the smell of it, there was nothing he could do now, it was eating his father slowly from the inside, and it would soon reach his heart.

Ken awoke as the sword was yanked from his grasp, his eyesight was shot to hell but his nose was perfectly functional, his son, his only son had come to his rescue, he had been in the Armory the last three days producing fangs for a sword to be made for Toga, thus letting So'unga feed freely off him, but he lost consciousness on the third day and that was how he was found, unconscious and being bleed out by a demon sword.

Toga hefted his father over his shoulder, it was incredible that now at the age of two hundred fifty five he could carry his bulky father, but two years prior he had been in bed for a few days after trying to lift him. Ken was not fat; no fat was the word that would least describe his wide brawny and strong presence. His muscled perfection constituted the majority of his weight, which now had considerably dropped, but neither Takumi nor Toga were able to find out, since he had long ago started replacing the weight and mass he lost with layers under his haori and hakama. Since nobody else came into close physical contact with him, everybody assumed he remained the same.

Toga laid his father down on a futon in his sleeping quarters. Accommodating his head with a pillow, he brushed the sweaty bangs out his eyes, his dark amber eyes unfocused, clearly showing loss of sight and early stage of decomposition of the physical body, it was true, his father was dying, and it was too late for Toga to try and do anything.

His father stirred, grunted, whined almost when he tried to sit up, Toga place a gentle hand on his chest to stop him,

"Father, I am finally back you are no longer alone, tell me father why did you keep this from me? Why did you give yourself to So'unga? What was so important you would decide to give your soul to a bloodlust crazed demon imprisoned inside a Sword?"

Ken, coughed and lifted his hand to grip his sons' arm, "Toga, I am sorry I kept this important knowledge from you, but if I did tell you, you would have told me to stop and be rid of So'unga, that sword helped me build my empire, it helped me be who I am now, and I do not regret losing myself to it, for it is for a better future for you my son, I do not want you to inherit So'unga, I do not want you to suffer the same I have suffered to keep the demon inside the sword at bay. Toga I let the sword feed freely off me to be able to regenerate my fangs quicker, so Takumi could have a sword forged from my fangs for you."

Ken was having a difficult time breathing, he coughed up blood and phlegm, Toga rushed to help him into a more comfortable sitting position, Ken pulled a gold necklace out of his haori, from it hanged about a dozen of ivory Inu Fangs, fangs his father sacrificed his life for, in that moment they seemed so meaningless to him.

"Take these and keep them safe, don't give them to anybody else than Takumi he will know what they are for, I have already told him, my essence grows short my son, it is a shame I can no longer see you, but at least I know you are here with me and that is all that matters to me right now, you have been arranged to marry Lora and produce an heir, I love you my son, grow strong and honorable…"

And with that Ken's soul left his body the energy sphere that was now the manifestation of his soul circled Toga once assuring him with its remaining youki and disappeared through the open window.

Toga briefly encountered self denial, his father couldn't be dead, when he left him, he was so full of life, or that was how it seemed, now he lay here clutching his father's lifeless body in a death grip, wishing he would revive, but no such luck, Ken Inu no Taisho was dead, gone forever, tears pricked Toga's eyes as he dropped his head back and gave into his instincts howling for the loss of his Alpha and father, that night the moon bleed red.

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Next morning Emi walked into the Taisho Estate, having spent all night cleaning and dressing the wounds that covered all of Lora's body, she was exhausted, when she left her Lord Taisho was going through simple katas in the Armory, telling her to go along and have fun while he worked on his rusty technique.

Emi giggled but was soon engulfed by Lord Takisho's youki, and was transported to the Takisho Mansion, where she then played along as nurse for the youkai healer.

She took off her geta sandals and stored them in a cubbyhole, the servants were still not awake, so she quietly walked passed their sleeping quarters, the Taisho of late was a late riser after his twelfth century walking this earth, _of course, nobody in their right mind being 1,200 years old would rise early to do nothing really?´_

After the world and consequentially Japan started acquiring a more civilized life pattern where children went to school everyday and adults signed peace treaties there was nothing of importance for the Inu no Taisho to do, but his office still existed as the head of the United Nations Office in Japan for the ONU. He also had his own companies to manage, which now were dealt with by his son, and heir Lord Toga, who should have arrived last night from a business meeting in Abu Dhabi, and the most trustworthy lawyers the Taisho employed.

Emi looked at her watch, _nine thirty, he will wake soon…´_

Then she pulled a rope making bells clink setting off the movement in the servants quarters like any other day, fellow youkai and people alike came out of their rooms, brushing their teeth and fangs, men were shrugging into their work linens, and women tied their hair up in a neat bun, kids were sent off to school, and cook-aids readied the coals for the morning meal. Yes everything ran smoothly, like a well oiled machine, Emi at the head of it, as housekeeper. She smiled as the donned her apron and tabi socks.

She checked the supplies for the day's meals, nothing was missing and she gave approval for the Lords breakfast to be started with. Emi then exited the servants wing, and traveled up into the common area of the Estate, a tranquil morning chamber, where the sun shone bright but not blinding, this place was the Lords favorite room, he was accustomed to have his morning ocha here every day. Emi busied herself with her tasks, putting water to boil for the leaves, and heating some dried fish to eat with soda crackers.

_Talk about weird, the Taisho sure has exceptional taste, who in their right mind has Japanese green tea with English tea crackers and dried fish? ´ _

The water started to boil signaling the usual time the Taisho choose to appear in the morning chamber, the figure with which Emi was graced was one of a very depressed and grieving Toga, she bowed her respect and asked to be of use,

"may I serve you your tea Lord Toga?"

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Toga was a shell of a person right now, he was there physically but not mentally, he proceeded to get up from the floor next to his fathers unmoving and lifeless body and walked down the corridor and into the morning chamber just like he used to everyday to have breakfast with his father, he found Emi poking the coals with a stake, Emi was talking to him_, wait Emi, talking, to me…´_

Coordinate and uncoordinated thoughts plagued his mind, and Toga was snapped out of his revere when Emi set the blue porcelain cup down in front of him.

"may I serve you your tea Lord Toga?"

Toga blinked as he saw Emi's face for the first time in almost a month, he reached over and took the cup full of tea, and just as anybody that conversed about usual things in life, he informed her that his father was dead.

"Lord Toga, is something the matter?" Emi asked, staring at the monotone and stoic mask her Lord had assumed once he sat down.

"He is dead Emi, would you mind getting Lord Takisho on the phone? I desperately need to speak to him" He said, the words never seemed to have come from his mouth, it was so surreal, Emi leaped half her short height off the tatami mat into a horridly shocked position, holding her hand to her chest.

"Who is dead Toga? Is it your father?! Holy shit!"

That sent Emi running into the corridor almost yanking the phone off the wall in her anxiety to inform the First in Command of his Lords death. The phone was one of those cream-colored late model ones, that you clicked the receiver closed on top of.

The phone rang in Takumi's private study, he picked up after the first ring, "Good morning?"

"Lord Takumi come quick, fly if you have to, Toga has just informed me of his father's death!"

Takumi almost fell out of his office chair, yes he knew his friend was close to death, but he never said he was on deaths' door!

"Damn that old lying dog! Emi when did it happen? Who killed him?"

"Lord Takisho I do not know, Toga just said it, and I ran to inform you, he requires our presence immediately, please Lord Takisho, he needs somebody and it certainly isn't me right now!"

"Alright Emi I will be their shortly…" And with that said the line went dead on the other side, Emi started at the receiver and hung up shortly after, she wiped the tears she felt running down her cheeks with her apron and walked toward the sleeping quarters assigned to her at the estate, she needed sometime to mull this over, to accept her long ruling Lord Inu no Taisho was dead.

Toga felt a familiar youki reach out and caress his own in a soothing motion, his God father soon appeared after that, Lord Takumi in all his regalia, bearing a parchment, the ones used to seal a blood contract between youkai, the parchment carried the agreement of marriage between Toga and Lora to produce an heir to be held on Sunday, maybe it would be better to have things done and over with, the sooner the better, is what he thought.

Takumi placed the parchment to his right atop the low table, and sat next to his god son, he nodded brief reverence, and spoke,

"So it is true my ever honest friend has passed away…" It was not a question but a affirmation of sorts, Toga nodded and nodded toward the parchment sitting atop the table,

"Is that what I think it is? Is it the contract of arranged marriage between our houses Lord Takisho?"

Takumi spared a glance at the scrolled parchment, and nodded briefly, Toga extended his hand and grabbed the scroll off the table, bringing it near he unrolled it and read it thoroughly; he snorted and threw the scroll on the table;

"When will it take place?" Lord Takisho blinked and observed Toga's grieving and careless appearance, "on Sunday, that gives you a few days to regain composure, we will arrive in the morning to have the parchment signed, then I must be present when you take Lora as your wife, making sure you do not mark her, since she is not to be your mate, you do not consider her to be such and I will not force you to take her that way. You must impregnate her and if she is successfully with child, after your first time together, it will be the only time you will have to touch her."

Toga nodded and looked out onto the garden, "Lord Takisho I will arrange a private ceremony for my fathers burial tonight, I would be honored for you to attend, if you do not, then we shall see each other again on Sunday then."

Takumi sighed, "Toga I have always been by your father, and I would disgrace my family and myself if I did not attend my best friend's funeral rights. I shall see you later; I must inform Kenichii and Kentaro of the happenings."

Takumi stood and bowed, regally to the new Inu no Taisho, and disappeared through the window in his energy sphere form, leaving traces of youki in the room. Toga called for a messenger, he needed to inform the other ruling Lords of his father's death and claim his title as Inu no Taisho before he took Lora as his wife, a short tanuki appeared soon after with his writing utensils, Toga wrote out a brief but respectful message in his own blood,

_--_

_January 16__th__ 1970,_

_Fellow Ruling Lords,_

_I Toga, son of Ken Inu no Taisho, have inherited what by birthright is rightfully mine, my father has passed away and I am the new ruling Inu no Taisho,_

_Best Regards,_

_Toga, Inu no Taisho_

_--_

Toga sealed the parchment with his blood and ring emblem, handing it to the tanuki messenger he informed him of what to do, "take that and have all of the ruling Lords read it and sign it so they are aware of the happenings today, don't come back until your mission is done, be off with you now."

The tanuki bowed and scurried off in the direction of the gates, he would use a cloud to transport himself through out the Western Lands, just as the Lords did.

That taken care of, he called for breakfast and a bath to be drawn, he needed to be cleaned up and presentable if any of the Lords decided to drop by and make sure that the message was true,

"two days to Sunday, by next week I will be married, a father and Tai Youkai, not what I had planned exactly father, but I will assume my responsibility honorably in your memory beloved father…"

**Please Read & Review, I would greatly appreciate anytype of feedback from you guys!**


	17. Vol 4: That's a Wrap!

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

"Hi! I'm back and come baring the last filler chapter of my story, I just wanted to tell you guys that I wrote these four chapters so you could have a better understanding of what I am thinking about when I write Lora, Kenichii, Kentaro, Takumi and Emi."

I feel honored that I have received so many page views for my 16 chapters, thank you for taking time and reading my fic.

**Summary: This chapter contains my very first written Lemon So yeah if it's odd just tell me so, I won't mind**"Warning - Lemons in chapter!"

I was listening to: Koaru Wada - InuYasha 3rd OST - Shibito No Nioi - while i wrote this chapter.

As Promised, this is the last filler chapter, explaining how we ended up on board of the S.S. Faithfull, and a small situation between Toga and Lord Takisho. There is some Toga/Lora and Kentaro/Emi citrus in there too.

**WARNING: LEMONS IN CHAPTER!**

And without further a due, here goes chapter seventeen of a **Mapped Life: That's a Wrap…**

Evening of January 16th 1970, Takisho Estate, Okinawa Japan:

_Sore, everything aches, everything hurts, why? What happened…?´_

Her pale-hued beautiful face scrunched up in a frown, what had happened to her, and how did she end up in the medical station?

Jumbled thoughts floated lazily around in her head, she tried to move her limbs to secure she still had movement,

_Kami-sama! At least I know I can still walk, my whole body hurts, everything, not a single muscle or bone escaped this torture…´_

Lora frowned again, swallowing a lump that had jumped up into her throat at the moment, her eyes danced behind her eyelids trying to remember it, trying to remember how she ended up in the Takisho Infirmatory in the first place, and why did she feel like she just fell out of a moving car?

_Torture, dungeon, leather mask, haunting evil crimson eyes that burned into her subconciousness…torture, whip, pain, the haunting feeling of being lost somewhere dark, something being screamed by somebody, pain, then pitch black silence…´_

Suddenly Lora remembered what had happened, she had been tortured by the family executioner, to near death, for a little more than three days, no food no water just that grimy filth he called a weaponry and pain.

Lora sucked in a rasped breath as she sat up, as a moist cloth that had been placed on her forehead fell off, she felt for her ribs and chest, remembering the bone had been exposed in that place, the flesh was still new and puffy but at least it no longer stung. A brawny clawed hand was placed on her shoulder, she started, as she looked up, her eyes came to rest on that calm, measured, friendly face of the family healer, John, he had been hired by the Takisho Lord after a conquest expedition lead toward the Americas, when he fell from a high peaked canyon and was rescued by John's people, after he had placed all of his broken bones, and nursed him back to health that is.

Lora blinked back some tears after John had unceremoniously brought a steaming cup of a strong concoction of some sort under her sensitive nose. She pushed his arm back as she swung her feet over the side of the medical station bed.

"Oh Kami! John that stuff smells awful nasty! Get it away from me please it's going to make me retch!"

"So sorry Lady Lora, this is the only medication I am able to make for you on such short notice to trigger your regenerative capabilities to work quicker, since you are needed healthy and willing within the next few days. I had no time to brew it and strip the brew of such strong odor."

"Do you mean I really have to drink it?"

"Yes ma'am you do, you do if you want to be in any fit shape for your marriage to Lord Toga."

"Hn, very well then, the sooner the better, hand it over John…"

And she drunk the murky substance in one gulp, closely followed by a cold glass of water. Then John helped her back into a resting position and called for a servant to bring her dinner, it was already four days and that Lora had gone without food, after being informed this by Lord Takisho himself John resorted to modern medicine and put Lora on a constant drip of IV. Yes youkai were magical beings, immortal, eternal souls, that reincarnate once in a while after death, and yes their body practically healed itself, but if brutally marred, and poorly fed their essence could wilt away to nothing, and that was in the condition Lora had been brought to his immediate attention and care.

Now, a day later, everything was looking up for the young Lady, but John still held doubt for what could have caused such sever trauma and injuries to her delicate form, she was the heir and daughter to Lord Takisho himself, if he was not mistaken she had a constant vigil and guard that accompany here inside and out of the Takisho Estate, so what in Kami-sama's green earth had caused her pain?

Anyway, she had awoken, and was now conscious and stable, now all she had to do was heal from her wounds and the skin to completely regenerate so he could give the word that she was fit for the Marriage at the end of the week.

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It was what his father would have wanted, a tranquil, breezy place, where Ken Inu no Taisho always arrived to make decisions and escape the real world for a while. A cliff overhanging the clear water and sandy beach, where the tide crashed into the rocks underneath and broke into fresh salty spray.

Toga had his fathers' remains incinerated and stored them in a porcelain flask, he called the few people that he knew his father would like to say goodbye to personally and invited them to the private funeral right. No more than five people where present, including Emi, Lord Takisho and the family cousins and deed doers, Kentaro and Kenichii.

Each of them had their personal few moments with the Taishos' remains, giving him their last farewell, after that Toga held the flask overhead and proclaimed amongst the present,

"Here lies Ken Inu no Taisho, legendary Lord, honorable ruler, esteemed friend, father and uncle, may Kami-sama accept you amongst his eternal garden of peace and tranquility, may your rest be peaceful father, for we will forever hold you in our hearts…"

Finishing his brief farewell Toga tilted the flask against the wind and let his fathers ashes scatter with the wind, free from all binding to the mortal world so his soul could rest peacefully. The wind picked up as the sun set in the horizon, taking Ken's soul and ashes with it. The Inu that had attended the funeral rights started leaving one by one, leaving just Toga and Takumi at the cliff, Takumi pondered how to address him now, even though Toga was his godson, and centuries younger than him, he was now Inu no Taisho and such title demanded respect. Takumi turned slightly so his back was facing the direction from where the wind came from, to avoid being scalded, thus turning his back on Toga, such action did not go unnoticed by the Young Lord.

"Turning your back on me so soon, fellow ruler? I at least expected for you to wait until I had married Lora and my son was born for you to show your true colors, but looking at you now, your attitude shows me that you imply your ingratitude for all my father gave you and all he did for you, hear me now Takisho, when was it you stopped being loyal to your Inu no Taisho and started following your fancy for something so petty as pocket cash? Tell me, godfather´ how much did you accept for my Lord father monetary-wise to have you so eager to have us married so soon, I do not recall the parchment stating a date for the marriage to take place, so it is only you I have to blame for such a rushed transaction. I must let you know that Toga Inu no Taisho is nothing compared to his late father, for I am not going to keep funding your little scheme, I back down to no one, not even you, and if I have to take Lora away from you while she is moon with child, then so be it. There will be not one more cent paid to your name from my pocket, for there is nobody to blackmail about keeping secrets, I hold no secrets, and so you must tell no lies."

This being said, Toga flipped his hair over his shoulder and walked toward his GS400, he turned the key and revved the engine, speeding away from his honorable fathers' resting place toward his Estate.

Leaving Takumi open mouthed in amazement, this young ruler now was going to be very difficult to con, and lie to that was for sure, he assumed his energy sphere form and flew back home.

Ken's spirit that lingered until the funeral rights were over, was watching from above, he nodded in appreciation, he had raised his son well, Toga knew when not to take shitty excuses or lies from anybody, his work was done here, now he could rest. His aura slowly started to fade just as the sun's last rays were extinguished by the sea under the horizon.

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A large bulky figure of not a man, but youkai rested in a leather chair, behind what once was a neatly arranged desk, the back of said chair turned towards the door, as the figure observed the horizon and lit a cigar in his meaty ring clad fingers.

Today had been a prosperous day, a shipment of marihuana, and AK-47's had been intercepted by his most trusted vessels, now the bounty was his and he already had a buyer; black market indeed, he never remained with anything hot in his hands for more than 48 hours, that was his lemma,

_Steal it and deal it as soon as you can and you will never be caught´_

And to top it all off he had been informed by an insider that the Great Lord Inu no Taisho had deceased, Ryuukossei was a happy man, there was nothing else in this mortal world that would make him any greater than the good news he just received. For centuries it had been Ken Taisho against the Yakuza and the Yakuza against him, desperately hiding this power-crazed war from mortal humans sight, but only one could be the victor of this war, only one could stay with the Oiling District, and Ryuukossei wanted it for himself, now that the dog was dead he could just stroll in and claim ownership.

_What a grand day it is…´_ he thought has he took another drag of the Cuban cigar, a vile laugh echoing through out the office.

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Morning of January 19th 1970, Taisho Estate, Okinawa Japan:

The Estate was buzzing with activity, the ceremony would be private only the bride and groom, and attending family, no one else, but still it was a marriage amongst Lord and Lady and that required a lot of preparation and catering, which still was being finished by Emi and the kitchen staff, the meal was light since it was breakfast, but still she had to send a messenger to the Takisho Estate to find out about their eating habits and preferences.

The hall where the contract would be signed was the same as the one used for the early meal, where Lord Takumi, Lady Chiyo, Lady Lora, Lord Toga, Lord Kenichii and Lord Kentaro would be eating, then one of the guest rooms would be used as the Wife General's room to complete the mating, where Takumi would be present.

Emi wiped the sweat from her forehead and proceeded to finished wiping off the silverware platters that would be used.

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A few hours later the Estate was cranked into action as soon as three cars arrived at the Taisho Estate gates, bringing with them the Takisho family, and the cousins. They were lead into the morning room, which was already set for the group to occupy.

Toga made his appearance minutes after their arrival; he sniffed the air around the door and realized why Takumi had stressed the point to have the marriage held today, for Lora went into heat today.

_Wise old dog…´_

Thought Toga as he sat at the low table and re-read everything written on the parchment. After reading it he nodded towards Lora and let her read through it, then cutting open the tip of his index finger he signed it in blood, nodding for Lora to mimic him, shortly followed by all those present, to bare witness of the marriage not mating bond.

The parchment was stored away in a cubby while the food was served, and all was quiet, various expressions made their appearance on the faces of those attending the brunch, happiness, satisfaction, jealousy, joy, anger, sorrow.

The plates and platters were cleaned up and Lord Takisho stood bringing Lora up with him by the arm, motioning to the door, Toga stood also and asked for them to follow. Takumi wanted things to be done with so he could complete his part of the deal.

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As they approached the door to the Wife General's room, anxiety and nervousness radiated off Lora in waves her youkai going bezerk under her pale skin.

This part of the Estate had been remodeled a few days ago to a Western style, not using shoji screens nor tatami mats and futons; the room was now decorated like something out of a Times magazine, with a canopy bed, carpets, drapes and renaissance paintings hanging off the walls.

Toga turned the handle and clicked open the door, leading the way for Takumi and Lora, after they were all inside and the door was shut Takumi stripped Lora of all her dress garments, leaving her in a thin sleeping yukata and placed a collar around Lora's throat and neck that also covered the shoulders, this necklace had a resemblance to the head pieces worn in ancient Egypt. Made of gold and turquoise the Takisho family Emblem color, and said item was used in this type of case in which there would be a mating but no a bonding ritual, and for this reason the females neck, throat and shoulders had to be covered to avoid the risk that she were marked in mistake, or stricken down once the youkai did not recognize the female as it's mate.

The dark turquoise yukata was pulled down to her chest so her father could secure the collar to a link belt around her thin waist which was protected by her father's youki. Once Takumi finished securing the collar to the energy belt, he gave her a pat on the head and disappeared behind a warded door, thus leaving Toga and Lora alone to complete their part of the ritual.

Toga walked behind a shoji screen on the far end of the room, and changed into a sleeping yukata with the Taisho House emblem on it, riding himself of all other binding clothes at the time, for the yukata was soon to come off also.

Lora pulled on the collar that now was secured around her delicate neck, the thing was heavy and uncomfortable, she was rapidly falling into a state of uneasiness, having Toga in the same room and knowing he would soon be taking her clothes off and having sex with her not having any tranquilizing effect on her either.

She was a mess of emotions, joy, shyness, curiosity, sorrow; all vibrating centimeters bellow her skin, waiting to be unleashed. Her giddiness increasing as she sat down on the foot of the canopy bed and saw Toga emerging from behind the screen with a lot less clothes on making her eyes wonder over his lean muscular chest which peaked out from between the folds of the yukata he now wore.

Toga eyed Lora, now sitting on the edge of the bed, her heat scent doing little to calm the beast that now raged underneath his skin, desperately clawing at his shell to break loose and impregnate the bitch that he smelled earlier and relieve himself. But Toga had mastered his inner beast years before, and took his time measuring the emotions as the played one by one on Lora's face, her desire getting the best of her and she eyed his exposed chest greedily.

Lora clutched the thin edges of his yukata in her fists as he slowly approached her, holding on to the last bits of levelheadedness remembering the brutal lesson she had been taught barely days before, she lifted her chin and tilted her head to the side, baring her neck to her lord now, letting him know he was willing to let him have his way.

Toga reached the edge of the bed and pulled Lora to her feet, looping his left hand around her back bringing her even closer to him, she smelled so good, so sweet, so tender, and right now he would give anything to have her, anything to ease the craving for such a temptation. His once honey amber eyes now rimmed in a deep crimson, as he held her steady and close to sniff her intoxicating scent, he growled in appreciation as he felt her loose her nervousness, Toga allowed his youkai to free himself, but still held control, he tangled his sharp deadly claws in the knotted obi that held her yukata closed, loosening her robe, it slowly slide down her thin shoulders, baring her nude form to him he drank it all in and let loose a blood curling howl, signaling to all other Inu in the immediate area that he would engage this bitch in heat and impregnate her. Temporarily marking her as his and the mark would be passed on to the child, which was soon to be conceived.

He palmed Lora's breasts as he slowly rubbed his engorged member against her wet apex of curls, making sure she was ready for him, taking a first male was painful and even more if he was well endowed, and not wanting to make the experience traumatizing for Lora, he decided she should enjoy it to. Lora moaned as he managed to position himself between her legs and rub her pearl, it only took a few strokes to have her knees buckle beneath her and have her fall backwards on the bed, Toga quickly lifted her legs up onto the bed and knelt before her exposed nest of curls that were now drenched in liquid heat and ready to take him. But Toga wanted her to remember him, to remember this night and he didn't mind bringing her to completion before he took her.

He nipped her creamy thighs with his enlarged pearly white fangs as she mewed in appreciation, he licked and nipped his was down to the apex slowly as he used a clawed finger to rub circular motions on her hot wet slit, dipping just the tip of his finger inside her, stretching her just for him. Lora lifted her hips off the bed trying to make him get closer, but when she did he pushed her down and sucked her pearl greedily. It only took a few seconds before Lora was moaning and growling in ecstasy, and Toga licked off her juices from his chin, peaking over her mound of curls directly at her crimson eyes, he realized that she had also released her beast and now he would take her as his.

Toga let forth an animalistic primal growl ordering her to submit, and Lora bared her throat, he licked her chin and pushed her face down onto the mattress, tracing her delicate back with his deadly claws, he rested his large hands on her minimal waist and climbed onto the bed behind her, pressing his erection into the fold of her thigh. She whimpered in submission as he dug his claws into her hips, his movements were then quick; he pulled back and thrust fully into her, seating himself deep inside her, while she moaned and growled her youkai searching to be marked as mated clawed at the covers that still dressed the mattress, shredding the delicate material.

He kept still for few minutes letting her adjust to his size but then the feelings were to overwhelming and he started moving slower at first but then picked up the pace when he heard her sigh in relief. Soon their bodies where vibrating and energy surrounded them, as the soul of their offspring started forming itself, mending her traits with his, her body started trembling preparing itself for what was to come, he fisted his claws into her hair and pulled her head back, to scent her and mark her as his, he bit into the collar but didn't pierce her skin as she came hard and fast, bringing him along with her. He dislodged his fangs from the iron mesh of the collar let loose a howl of satisfaction, coming inside her. Their auras flared against themselves, violently rejecting one another, and Toga quickly dislodged himself from above her and paced the rugged floor. He managed to growl out something which Lora understood to be, "not mine…not mate…" as sorrow filled tears pooled in her eyes. She curled up into a ball on the mattress and hid her face in a pillow wishing him to go away, as the after fluids and her first blood pooled on the sheets. The ritual was complete she was pregnant with Toga's child and they no longer had to repeat this action, for it was not needed.

Toga stormed out of the room locking himself in the bathroom opposite to the bedroom as Lora whimpered in pain, not only physically, but also sentimentally, _Toga really doesn't see me as his mate…he doesn't want me as his…oh Toga…´_

Finding it safe to now emerge from his waiting place Takumi emerged from his hiding place and sat on the bed next to his daughter, trying to sooth her broken heart and spirit._ I knew this would happen…´_

He then pulled the cover sheet around her, wrapping her just like a baby in a swaddling cloth and carried her out of the room, away from the dangerously powerful beast that he could still feel roamed free just behind the bathroom door.

Takumi burst into the morning room where the others waited patiently, and motioned for Kenichii and Kentaro to assume their positions, Kenichii would accompany the Takisho's back home, while Kentaro stayed to keep Toga from going after her.

They made quick work of getting Lora and her family into the car and out of the estate, then Kentaro proceeded to take all of the sheets off the bed, and spray it with an unscenting chemical produced by John the Takisho family healer, so no scent of Lora was left on the mattress, he then called Emi, to have new fresh sheets delivered to the suite, she started dressing the bed as then they both heard water running in the bathroom, they both realized Toga was trying to wash off her scent. Emi finished dressing the bed in new sheets and a new cover, as Kentaro opened the windows to air out the place, soon there would be nothing that smelled of Lora Takisho inside the Taisho Estate.

Kentaro led Emi out of the room and out of this hall, leaving Toga alone with his thoughts. Once they were out of Toga's hearing range he managed to find the room assigned to Emi and quickly pulled her inside, pushing her up against the wall as he shed his vest and weapon belts, he touched her greedily, as she moaned in appreciation, he was loosing control to his inner beast, and Emi knew it, she submitted baring her neck to him and he growled in acceptance, he cut through the French maid dress she wore with his agile clawed fingers, making her gasp in surprise, he reached for her nest of curls to test how ready she was, she moaned heatedly as he started rubbing her hard and fast, he turned her around to face the wall, they had never gone this far before, sure they had seen each other naked and had pleasured each other in other ways, but Kentaro never made a move to mate with Emi, nor mark her as his mate, maybe today would be the day, that that would happen.

He pressed himself against her, rubbing his erection into the space between her thighs, her body started trembling, that was a clear signal for him to know that she was very close to completion, he stopped touching her earning him a cry of protest, but he then looped his arms around her waist and chest and carried her over to the futon, he pushed her down to kneel in front of him she dropped down on all fours and folded her arms so only her butt remained up, inviting him to take her once and for all.

He finished undressing himself, kneeling behind her, he dipped two fingers into her hot seeping slit, then three stretching her just enough to not make it to painful for her, he loved Emi and now was the time to show her just how much he did in fact love her, marking her as his mate for life.

Kentaro pumped his fingers in and out of her making her liquid heat drip down her thighs bringer her close to completion again and then retracting his hand before she reached it, she growled in frustration, as he chuckled, "feisty little bitch you are Emi, tell me what is it you want, I want to her you beg me…"

Emi replied between moans and growls as he now was rubbing his engorged member against her slit but stopped once she started panting again, "damn it Taro, please…."

"Please? Please what Emi? Say it; tell me what you want me to do…."

"Oh Kami, please Taro take me now, make me yours, make me your mate…I need you…please"

Nothing else need to be said between the two as Taro held her still and positioned himself at her entrance, Emi was pure and that he made sure, he did not touch her this way until he new she would be ready to be his mate, Inu youkai mated for life, and he didn't want to be stuck with somebody that didn't love him, so he made sure Emi wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Kentaro pushed just the tip of his engorged erection inside her, moving slowly pushing himself deeper every thrust, their auras made themselves visible to them, pulsing in rhythm to Taro's thrusts into her, but she wanted him now so she pushed her weight up into her arms and slammed herself back onto him, making him thrust deep inside her breaking through her maiden barrier and filling her to the hilt, making their auras flare instantly, into vivid colors of purple and orange that mixed and winded themselves against each other.

Taro growled as he unleashed his beast and started thrusting and pounding hard and fast into her, while he caressed her neck and pulled her hair away from it, holding onto her golden locks while he caressed her breasts and back with his free hand he kept a steady rhythm. The only sound that could be heard over their moans and growls was their skin slapping against each other. He then used his free hand to toy with her pearl and kept thrusting hard and fast into her, that was all it took to have her bucking beneath him, her walls vibrating around him, as he picked up the pace a notch she was growling and baring her neck to him, he brought himself up and over her back still holding her hair back and looped his arm around her hips to keep her still when he would bite her to mark her as his.

Taro's breath was coming in short pants just behind Emi's ear, he whispered sweet nothings to her as he kept on thrusting into her, it was only a matter of seconds before fireworks exploded behind Emi's eyes and was sent reeling over the edge, clamping her inner muscles on his member, moaning and howling in satisfaction, Taro followed her with a few more thrusts he nipped her ear and trailed down her neck to the junction between her neck and her shoulder, sinking his fangs into her creamy skin his youki accepting hers and hers accepting his, he drank from her blood hungrily, as she managed to sink her own female fangs into his bicep marking him as hers also, she also drank from his blood and licked it clean so it would heal sooner.

Kentaro tried to pull out from her, but he found that their were joined and still would be for a long time, so he managed to pull her with him onto their sides on her futon, so they could rest together, his Emi, now his mate. His eternal love.

Kentaro nosed her neck playfully and kissed her cheek as he growled out "my love, my mate…"

As Emi pulled his arms closer around her, as she too growled out "my Kentaro, my mate…"

And they both drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

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Morning of January 20th 1970, Taisho Estate, Okinawa Japan:

Kentaro awoke feeling somebody close to him on his futon; he groped to see who it was, earning himself a surprised gasp and a sexy moan, _sexy moan? Who? What? Where did it come from? ´_

He sat up instantly earning himself a cry of protest, when he looked down his icy blue eyes came in contact with lush caramel, _Emi?! Emi…that's right we mated last night, so I finally had the guts to do it…´_

Emi saw the surprised look on his face, and she couldn't blame him, she had also freaked out when she awoke finding him beneath her. She had always wanted to be with him and be his mate, but only when he would take the lead and ask her. Now they belonged to each other. She crawled over the futon to him, caressing his chest and kissing his neck, he held her close and smiled as he enjoyed the sensations, being glad that she had not regretted the night before.

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Toga sat on the edge of the bed, last night he had not slept thinking about the commitment he had acquired to Lora in honor to his father's bidding to produce an heir. He would have marked her if it weren't for the collar Lord Takisho placed on her. He had to lock himself in the opposite room for Kami's sake, before he dug his claws into her for rutting with him and not being his mate.

Now he was sure she was pregnant and he would soon be a father, within a mere eight months, which is full term for an Inu youkai. He slinked off to the bathroom again to soak in hot water, lavender and mineral salts to sooth his frayed nerves, this week had to be the most taxing of his entire lifetime.

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Morning of January 20th 1970, Takisho Estate, Okinawa Japan:

Lora had spent the night crying for her shattered dream, now she was married to someone that didn't love her, pregnant, and bound to a contract to give over the last piece of what ever fairytale love she once held for Toga Inu no Taisho, her child. She was not happy, not happy at all, and so she now realized that this was why her mother was crying for her in the weaponry, her mother was crying for the fate she would now have to accept and live with, for this was the way things had been planned out for her, this was the way her life had been mapped out for her, and the worst thing is that she couldn't do anything about it, because if she did, she would be punished or even worst, she could be executed for disobeying a direct order and claused contract with the Inu no Taisho.

John had been allowed into her sleeping quarters to check her over, after her maids in waiting had cleaned her up and dressed her in a sky blue silk yukata, with the Taisho House emblem on it, she was now married to the Inu no Taisho, and her station had to be worn with pride at all times. John had managed to cauterize the puncture wounds on her hips so they wouldn't scar. He also assured Lora that she was pregnant, and that within a few months they would know the gender of the child.

While John finished tending to her, Lora realized that Toga had used her for his own advantage, so now it was her turn to take something in return. She couldn't flee with her child, because that would cost her her own life, but she could make his life a living hell for making her unhappy.

_yes that is what I shall do, I will make you miserable and complain about everything so you will not have a moments peace Toga Inu no Taisho you will pay for not loving me in return…´_

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Morning of August 19th 1970, Takisho Estate, Okinawa Japan:

Lora was almost full term, at seven months pregnant her growing child craved everything and anything that enticed her sharp sense of smell, but some odors were just too strong and made her retch which she was doing right now. The estate chef decided to cater her with western food this month and the _chili con carne´_ as he called it was too spicy and too hot for her abused taste buds, sending her running for the nearest toilet.

Her father left all of her doings supervised by her maids in waiting so he could have all of his time to plan out how he was going to put to use the money the late Inu no Taisho had granted him in return for Lora's and Toga's marriage. Takumi also had the issue with Lady Chiyo's mental health, for she had fallen into grief and great depression after they returned from the Taisho Estate and she saw her daughter raw and bloody, she threw stuff around and made a wreck of the porcelain in the dinning area, thus making Lord Takisho order John to subdue her with tranquilizing herbs.

Lord Takisho didn't realize he was sole responsible for the separation of his family, but little did he care, he now had all the money he ever wanted to spend. They never realized they had a spy inside the Estate, and soon the Yukuza knew of the marriage and pregnancy of the new Inu no Taisho and his daughter Lora.

The planning for her execution was on, Ryuukossei had ordered the spy to introduce sleeping herbs into her evening tea and kidnap her, and then bring her to the headquarters to let the leader himself deal with her.

But their plan was soon thwarted when Kenichii who was standing guard behind the Estate saw the spy trying to leave with Lora over his shoulder, killed the spy and ran with Lora to the Taisho Estate, where he soon informed Toga of the happenings and they made planned reservations to leave the country as soon as possible, not informing anybody where they would be heading, so nobody knew where to follow them to.

Soon Toga, Lora, Kenichii and Kentaro were boarding the S.S. Faithful leaving behind a pregnant Emi and a dazed Lord Takisho, so they wouldn't draw suspicions as to why the whole Taisho family was leaving the country undercover. Takumi never knew what really happened, but he did hold off the Yakuza ninja that were sent to intercept them, killing each and every one of them. If his grandson was the next ruler inline for Toga then he couldn't let him get harmed.

Soon, very soon he would have someone to rightfully occupy the position of ruling Inu no Taisho and control. His thoughts were cut short when a ninja scored a killing blow digging his spear through Takumi's heart.

**A/N:** No this is not the end of this story, I plan on making it go for another ten or fifteen chapters, this is just the end of the explanations so you all could understand what is going through my mind at the time I write each character.

**Please Read & Review! **


	18. Freedom is Attained atop a Gust of Wind

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\\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1\b\f0\fs28 I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.\par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\b0\f1\fs22\par \cf1\b\f0 A/N:\cf2\b0 Hello guys, I am back and come baring a new chapter, we are back in the present, and Izayoi meets a very good friend which will be a very vital part in the story.\par \par I would like to remind my readers that my story is \ul\b\i Alternate Universe\ulnone\b0\i0 , and for this reason I am able to bend and mold the story to my liking. \cf1\b (Let me just take this parenthesis to inform you guys I have no intention of being rude, I just would like to avoid flames, although everybody has the freedom of opinion and speech, you can contact me through email or leave feedback for my story in whatever way you deem necessary).\par \par \cf2\b0 I now count with an absurd amount of free time on my hands, and for such reason I will probably be updating a lot sooner.\par \par Also I will use \b my Author\rquote s Notes\b0 section to include meanings to the Japanese words I will use in the Story.\par \par \cf3\ul\b\i Japanese Meanings for words used in the chapter:\par \ulnone\i0 Aori: Gust of wind\par \f1\par \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf1\ul\b\f0\fs28 Chapter 18: A Mapped Life: Freedom is attained atop a gust of wind\'85\par \par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\ulnone\b0\f1\fs22\par \f0 It was early morning, Izayoi decided to get an early start and got up to make her bed, have a bath and wander into the deserted halls of the Elizabethan Institute, she had not been given a proper tour of the grounds, and by getting up so early at least she could sneak around and see what this large school she was sure her father had bought had to offer.\par \par She tip-toed down the hall and peered over the banister of the hardwood stairs which overlooked the two story window adorning the small lobby at the end of the floor, she must have been awarded the most special room, for she had the prettiest view of the stables and lake that stood maybe a good one hundred and fifty meters away from the main building.\par \par She smiled for the first time in a few days and ran the rest of the way down the stairs, pushing open the door that lead to the back of the property, she hopped down the stone-paved steps and walkways, through a small area with benches and flower pots, almost getting tangled in one of the walls of the shrub-built maze, arriving at the paddock fence.\par \par Before her was the most beautiful animal she ever laid her violet eyes on. Before her stood a stallion, which could qualify as purebred, with a filthy chocolate-brown coat, oval head, and chiseled muscle structure. His mane and tail were wild, not brushed nor cared for in what might have been months, and his hooves were not tended, what most bothered Izayoi was the sadness in the animals eyes, there was so much melancholy reflected in the horse\rquote s brown orbs that made her heart clench.\par \par She looked around to see if anyone would call her attention for what she was going to do next, seeing nobody around she grabbed one of the boar bristle brushes that had been left in a bucket beside the door to the paddock and ducked under the fence; she approached the steed slowly with the brush in one hand and her other palm open towards him so he wouldn\rquote t fright.\par \par The horse walked slowly towards her, curiously nipping at the brush in held in her hand, Iza smiled as he nuzzled her check, and nosed inside her clothes for food. Unfortunately she had brought none with her at the time. She patted his muzzle and gently brushed down his neck, repeating the process with the rest of his mane. By the time she was done all of the knots and snarls were practically gone from his once untidy mane and tail, before her stood a very handsome, and lively stallion. She brushed her nimble fingers down his neck and played with his downy ears.\par \par \i\ldblquote Hey fella, I bet you feel very lonely here, not knowing anybody, and everybody being mean to you\'85I guess by the way I found you, you haven\rquote t let anybody get close enough to groom you. I am all alone here also, my father just left me here for the better part of eight years or so to finish my schooling in America, so he says\'85I don\rquote t want to be alone, how about you boy? Do you want to be alone?\rdblquote\par \f1\par \i0\f0 The stallion nickered and shook his head, as if saying no, Iza giggled and patted his neck, \i\ldblquote\'85very well then how about we be friends then? I will come here everyday to tend to you if you be my friend ok?\rdblquote\i0 she received a nod of his grand head and a small prance around her.\par \par He nickered again as he trotted another circle around her, but then a short grumpy old man spotted her and came running with a whip in his hand. \par \par \i\ldblquote Get away from him girl, he will surely kill you! Get back \b Diablo\b0 ! Back I say!\rdblquote \par \par \i0 He shouted as he cracked the whip inches away from the stallion\rquote s front legs causing him to rise and paw at the air madly. The animal was completely terrified of the leather whip, his big round eyes a clear telling sign. Izayoi ran up to the fence and jumped on a support beam, waiting for the horse to run close by. She jumped into his back, holding on to his untangled mane; then she patted down the coat that had bristled on his neck as she whispered into his ear,\par \par \i\ldblquote I know that whip scares you fella, but please calm down, if you don\rquote t then he will hurt you with it\'85please calm down my friend\'85\rdblquote\par \f1\par \i0\f0 Izayoi eased the horse patting down his coat around his neck and whispering easy calming phrases into his downy ears. The old man continued to rave and rant about her being potentially in danger with this horse he called \b Diablo\b0 . But was proven wrong when the horse came to a halt before him and Izayoi slid down his back to the ground.\par \par She approached the will witted old man and signaled toward the stallion as she addressed him, \i\ldblquote Dear sir, I would greatly appreciate it if you do not treat this animal in this manner, for he does not need whips nor torture to obey you, and your example lies in what I have just done with him, never had I seen him and I was ridding bareback without a concern in the world. I will adopt this steed as my own, to practice if you may\'85I find him adequate to fit the part, we seem to get along just fine.\rdblquote\par \par \i0 The old man\rquote s face resembled a ripe tomato; he pointed a grubby finger at her, and raised his voice in a scolding manner,\par \par \i\ldblquote Wait just a minute you brat! Just who do you think you are? Coming into my stable and ridding one of my gold medal winners, and then saying he is adequate to adopt for kiddy-wheel horseback ridding practice?! \b Diablo\b0 is priceless! His title alone is worth millions\'85surely you cannot meet the cost of that\'85\rdblquote\par \par \ldblquote That my dear old man is of no concern to you, I Izayoi Tokugawa do plan on buying and caring for this fine example of stallion myself, since you could not, even though he was a said gold medal winner of yours you do not tend to him at all, when I got here, he looked like he had not been groomed in months! And surely he doesn\rquote t like to be called \b Diablo\b0 , so I will just have to change his name to whatever his liking is\'85\rdblquote\par \par \ldblquote Izayoi Tokugawa? As in Han Tokugawa the new owner of this institute Tokugawa? You are his only daughter?!\rdblquote\par \par \ldblquote Yes sir, indeed I am, now if you excuse me, I must go freshen up and attend to the breakfast that must be served by now.\rdblquote\par \par \ldblquote Why yes of course Miss Tokugawa, be my guest, I will hose \b Diablo\b0 down and have him ready for your first riding practice this evening\'85.\rdblquote\par \par \i0 Izayoi halted her task of ducking under the fence and turned around to smile at the old man, \i\ldblquote that is suitable, and please refrain from calling him that, I do dislike the God awful name myself, I will think of what to call him by this afternoon maybe, but for now just address my horse as fella\'85\rdblquote\par \par \i0 The old man took off his straw hat and scratched the top of his bald head, he reached for the bridle hanging off the fence and laced it around the stallions\rquote muzzle, leading him out of the paddock and into the short field in front of the stables, where he would be hosed down and groomed, for the girls\rquote riding lesson, if the horse had found somebody he would willingly let them ride him, then possibly he could convince her to enter the state league and even participate in a tournament, just to see how it went.\par \par The old man chuckled and proceeded to bathe and groom the horse that he was about to sell for dog food within an hour, that now by what could only be described a twist of fate, would be the new pet of the owner\rquote s daughter. The stallion nickered as the cold water splashed over his spine, his life had been saved by the new girl he just met, and for that he was grateful.\par \par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\qc\b -&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-\par \par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\b0 It was first period, and as such it was the teachers turn to invite Izayoi to the front of the classroom to introduce herself and let the other students know where she came from and what her hobbies were. It went by as a normal first day at a new school went on for any new foreign student would go, they all appeared harmless when the teacher was in, but when she left, they threw balled up paper at her, called her names and put tacks on her chair.\par \par A few minutes after the fourth bell rung class was dismissed signaling the end of the school period for the day, Izayoi made a mad dash for the cafeteria, hoping to arrive before any of the annoying girls got there first. Unfortunately they had the same thought and were already inline for lunch. Iza tried to avoid them for all that was possible, but after one of the girls she heard another address as \b Mallory\b0 tried to trip her with a leisurely placed foot, Iza swerved in the opposite direction and made a mad dash for the exit door, running with all her might towards the stables, where her only friend would be waiting for her to return. She arrived at the stables only minutes after, and climbed up on a support beam, watching the horse feed of the lush green grass, she smiled for the first time in hours, and retrieved a juicy red apple from her lunch bag, clucking her tongue as if calling a puppy motioning for the horse to come close, he had been groomed by the bald old man and possibly shoed for the very first time in what could have been months, for his hooves no longer looked painfully uneven but now sported the polished rounded look of a champion.\par \par The steed arrived at the fence soon after, nuzzling her hands looking for the source of such sweet smell, Iza giggled and withdrew the apple from her pocket, resting it flat on her palm, the horse chomped it up minding her hand and nodded his head in approval, Izayoi finished eating her meatloaf sandwich and bag of chips, depositing the bag inside a trash can not far from the paddock, when she turned back the horse stood behind the fence observing her every move.\par \par Izayoi walked closer to him, patting down the forelocks on his downy head, and behind his soft ears. \par \par \i\ldblquote Tell me my friend how would you like me to call you? Of course I can\rquote t just go around calling you fella forever right?\rdblquote\i0 \par \par The horse grumbled shaking his head side to side vigorously. \par \par \i\ldblquote Well then, how about samurai? No, ok let\rquote s try batusai? No, not at all, umm \b Aori\b0 ? Ok then, \b Aori\b0 it is, you know \b Aori\b0 I wish I could go out and explore the grounds of the school, when papa brought me in the car here I saw a forest just off the side of the grand entrance, I wonder how pretty the flowers must be in there\'85\rdblquote\par \par \i0 She ducked under the fence and fingered the lacing on the saddle that had been laid atop the top support beam of the paddock, surely it had been left there by the old man for her use, on her day of riding lessons, not that she needed them, for her father had a soft spot for horses and had invested in horse ridding and jumping lessons a few years ago for her.\par \par She rode her first mare at the mere age of eight and a half. And now was an experienced rider. She picked up the bridle from where it lay on the grass and fingered the bit, surprised to see that it was the class that managed a true hurdle jumping champion, she wondered if the initial words said by the old man were true, what if \b Aori \b0 was a gold medal winner?\par \par She rose the bridle inches over her chest, clear signal for any trained stallion to approach their rider and let themselves be buckled up. She wasn\rquote t surprised to see \b Aori \b0 slowly prancing over to her, lowering his towering head just below her chest and wait for her to wrap the bridle around it.\par \par After Izayoi was sure his leathers and saddle were in place, she lead him close to a support beam and hopped up on him, doing simple laps around the paddock to get the feel of his body movements, she then steered him to the middle of the gate and heeled him into a full blown gallop, he reached the gate and without further encouragement jumped it clear by a meter or so. Iza giggled all the way, holding her posture coiled into his body and covered her face from wind debris with his side, he rapidly developed speed, his hooves never seeming to touch down the soft earth he galloped upon he seemed to be floating in the air, his namesake holding true.\par \par Izayoi bunched up the reins in one hand tying them into a knot for easier handling, which let her other hand free to trace soothing circles along \b Aori\rquote s\b0 neck, the horse along with Izayoi riding him went unnoticed by the students having lunch in the field outside of the cafeteria, he maintained his gallop as they headed for the fence that surrounded the main grounds of the institute, quickly clearing the fence so they would not be held back, little did they know they were being observed by somebody in the distance.\par \par \b Aori \b0 increased his speed, his hooves digging up large clots of soil as they touched down and came back up in just seconds of the previous action, his strong and long unused leg muscles raging to release all the bunched up tension of long needed exercise, as he finally cleared the last fence that surrounded the further grounds before arriving at the institute, \b Aori \b0 slowed down into a lazy and short gallop as Izayoi sat up releasing his reins and let out a gasp as she looked around, the forest they were now moving slowly through was far from common, it was so green and wild, she felt like screaming and laughing and giggling at the same time, Iza extended her arms above her head and laughed with all of her might, \b Aori \b0 stood on his hind legs nickering and pawing the air he felt happy with this new rider, and for the first time in all of her life Iza felt free\'85\par \par After \b Aori \b0 finally came down from his power high and trotted into a clear field surrounded by flowers, he stopped and snorted, his breaths coming out in puffs, as Izayoi led him over to a large rock and slid down his neck, her height being an issue at the time of mounting of dismounting the stallion. He trotted over to graze on the wild grass as she gathered some wildflowers and knitted them into a crown for herself, \par \par \i\ldblquote What do you think fella? Do I look like a queen? No? Ok maybe a fairytale princess then?\rdblquote\par \par \i0 He shook his head vigorously no, as she asked him, she giggled at his antics and started singing and dancing around in a messy circle trying to issue a correct waltz, and \b Aori \b0 would nicker every time Izayoi would hit a high note, her soft and sweetly charming voice soothing him into a calming trance.\par \par Then she flopped down onto the grass next to him and stared up at the setting sun, it was time to go back to the regimen she would now have to live by, she looked over to \b Aori \b0 and smiled, at least now she had a sincere friend she could always count on to make her fell safe when everything else was gloom, things were starting to look up for her, she now had a silent confidant and a friend.\par \par \par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\qc\b -&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-\par \par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\b0 They took the long way back to the Institute, Izayoi decided so since jumping back over the fences would surely get her into trouble with Mrs. Cunningham and the old man at the stables, along with the fact that she wanted to get to know more about this place that would be her home for such a long time.\par \par \b Aori \b0 was set in a leisure pace, Iza decided to let him walk back, since she had pushed him to get to the forest and encouraged him to jump fences, which was dangerous if he really was a champion and was not exercised properly before so. She took her time to look around the countryside, taking in every hillside and meadow; she observed the double fences at the west of the gate, where there was the redwood thick plank fence which was trademark of the institute, since it was the same kind of fence all around. And then there was a stone wall the double in size of the fence maybe a meter or so in distance from the wood fence. Iza frowned and lead \b Aori \b0 over to the wood fence and leaned over it trying to touch the stone wall, her short arms not being useful for such task she started to slide off the saddle, the fine hairs on the back or her neck bristled, letting her know that there was some kind of magic involved in the construction of said stone wall. It only took Iza a moment to determine it was not safe to be in such a place and regained her posture atop \b Aori\b0 and heeled him into a gallop back towards the stables, they arrived a while after, the old man was waiting for them at the entrance of the stables, he held on to \b Aori\rquote s\b0 bridle for Izayoi to dismount him safely.\par \par They exchanged no words as Izayoi took the bridle from him and led the horse towards a large stall with the name \b Diablo\b0 carved into a wooden piece hanging from the door. She stopped short before the door and removed his saddle and quilt, thoroughly brushing him down then led him inside.\par \par The old man observed all of her movements, he had to give in and accept that this girl did know her fair share in care for a horse. He broke the silence as she finally locked the door to the stall and removed the stallions bridle and poured fresh oats and hay into his food bay.\par \par \i\ldblquote Girl you have one fine example of breeding stallion there, he\rquote s a medal winner that I am sure of, got me some pictures and trophies to go along with it to prove\'85\rdblquote\par \par \i0 Izayoi removed the carved name tag that was held up with hooks onto the stall door, she fingered the black tinted letters and shook her head, \i\ldblquote and then if he is so worthy of such prizes why didn\rquote t you care for him for so long? How is it that I find a medal winner with a coat full of dry mud and grass stains? How long had it been since he ate oats and hay?\rdblquote\par \par \i0 Izayoi swallowed the lump that had jumped up into her throat and gripped the wooden tag in her dainty fingered hands\i , \ldblquote and just tell me where his previous rider is? I need to speak to them about his lack or care!\rdblquote\par \par \ldblquote His previous rider abandoned the school after the accident, has nobody told you why he is kept away from all of the other horses on campus? Why no one rides him? Come with me and I will show you\'85\rdblquote\par \par \i0 The old man walked away from her, leading her towards a ratty old door at the end of the barn hall, he looked over his shoulder before going inside, making sure Izayoi followed.\par \par Iza gulped and gathered her courage, making to follow after the strange old man, maybe there was a story behind \b Aori\b0 , and if there was, she had to know, maybe what he had to say would explain the sadness she saw in his eyes.\par \par \par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\qc\b -&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-\par \par \par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\b0 The old man, sat down in an old fashioned leather chair, he held a picture album in his worn old hands, Izayoi kept her hands behind her back fingering the nametag for reassurance as she looked around what seemed to be an office at one time and of some sort. The pictures on the wall were like copies of each other, each of them were the same in context, a man in slacks and suspenders holding a trophy and the bridle of a champion, and atop the horse the rider, which if you looked closely, you could determine it was the same girl in all the pictures, she looked to have light blond hair and skin, freckles and wore a light colored jockey uniform and leather riding boots. You could barely tell since all the pictures on the wall were in black and white and dated nineteen twenty four, nineteen twenty five and so on.\par \par Izayoi moved from the pictures on the wall to the one\rquote s on the desk, there was a color portrait of a young girl no older than sixteen maybe, with strawberry blond hair, and fair skin, the bridge of her nose was sprinkled in freckles, she wore a mauve cotton dress and dress heels, in her hands she held a framed prize medal and a dozen roses, she was smiling an earnest smile, she looked happy.\par \par Then Iza found a name plate on the desk, it read \b\ldblquote Jeremiah Samuels \endash Breeder & Trainer\rdblquote\b0 Iza looked up to the man\rquote s face, and blinked, of course, this was all his, these were his trainees, and the girl in the portrait was someone special to him.\par \par The old man\rquote s mouth curved at one side, in an attempt of a smile, the expression looking worn and outdated on his wrinkled face. He laid the album down on the desk and spoke,\par \par \i\ldblquote This is my life Ms. Tokugawa, I am Jeremiah Samuels, breeder and trainer of champions, or was once that person, I started young since horses were always my passion, one of the first girls I trained is the one shown in the pictures hanging on the walls, she was very young, as so was I, she was fifteen, and I nineteen. I meet her at a country club her parents used to take her to, her name was Elizabeth Charles, and at the time I worked feeding the purebred horses that were kept at the stables that country club owned.\par \par She started taking riding lessons maybe a week after they had joined the club, and I would use my lunch break to watch her progress in her training, then the trainer decided that since I spent so much time watching the lessons everyday that I should start working with him in the paddock instead of the stable shoveling hay and manure.\par \par Soon after that I was his trusted assistant, often taking over the lessons for the day when he had other matters to attend to, or one of his trainees had to go to a competition, one day I had to take over a lesson for him, since he was suffering from a harsh cold, autumn was soon to set in, and we finally had our first civilized conversation, she laughed at most of what I said, and I cherished every second of it; I got her into a competition a few weeks after she won second place and was ecstatic, Elizabeth decided to make it her career, and months later she scored first place in the state finals, winning a gold medal, a trophy and the prize money, which her parents used to pay me off and try to get rid of me, since they knew we were getting closer, and of course they didn\rquote t want their daughter to get together with a mere stable hand, they had arranged everything to send her off to another country, London I think it was, so she would forget about me, but she escaped them, and we moved to my hometown in Texas and got married, we were happy for about a year or so, but then money became scarce, and she decided to enter a championship with one of the horses my father kept on the farm, the horse was not a purebred, nor anything like it, he was a work horse, used to long hours of sowing fields and hauling carts.\par \par People at the event laughed and ridiculed us, thinking me a mad man, but that horse proved his worth and we won that competition in nineteen twenty four. The prize money went towards the family funds and our economy improved. All of the fertile land on the farm was planted and the harvest was grand, the income from the sale of the produce was something my father would never imagine earning, and we repeated the same process for the next five years or so, then Elizabeth became pregnant, and had our baby girl, we named her Charlotte, and she grew up happy and smart. We lived on the farm with my father and the stable hands for another ten years out of which Elizabeth joined and won the national competitions, then she reached the age limit of thirty and was no longer able to participate in them, making that entry of funds unavailable to us, that same year her parents had been involved in a tragic accident, the car they were riding in crashed, leaving Elizabeth with no other living relatives, and she had to make the trip to Boston to take care of their funeral, I stayed behind with our daughter, her mother believed that she didn\rquote t have to say goodbye to the people that didn\rquote t even have the decency to get to know their granddaughter.\par \par Then after everything was taken care of and the house the Charles family owned was sold, she came back to Texas and we used the funds to plant the crops, soon after the Charles Family lawyer made a visit, and informed her that she was heir to the fortune her father left in the family trust fund and her college fund she didn\rquote t get to use. We were filthy rich, and we brought all of the available land bordering my fathers\rquote humble property, acquiring more fertile ground to plant and harvest. Then Elizabeth decided to send our daughter to school, but Charlotte was not used to high society and was soon expelled out of the expensive schools her mother tried placing her in for bad behavior, Elizabeth finally came to the conclusion that if you were born into a lifestyle you liked nothing would make you change, and she founded a school, for young ladies that liked outdoor activities, arts and music, all social classes could attend, she named the school after herself, \ldblquote the Elizabethan Institute for young ladies\rdblquote my daughter attended, and soon took after her mother, taking ridding lessons and entering her first competition at the age of thirteen, she won first place and made habit of joining the competition every year, two years after that Elizabeth came down with a sever case of pneumonia and died, leaving Charlotte and me grieving her death.\par \par Charlotte decided to maintain the tradition set by her mother and kept participating in the yearly competitions winning second and first place in them all, then on the year she turned sixteen, the purebred that her mother had gifted her with was jumping the final obstacle beam and tripped on his landing, throwing Charlotte headfirst into the obstacle pond, and hitting her head on a rock at the bottom fracturing her spine.\par \par Doctors tried helping her, operating her two maybe three times to try to regain mobility in her legs, but nothing they did could make her regain mobility, she was left handicapped and using a wheel chair to move around. She finished her school and used some of the funds her mother left in her name to move away from me, I have not heard from her since, it has been too long, and maybe it was twenty years ago, I think.\par \par Then she decided to regain ownership of the school which I gladly gave to her, thinking she would at least talk to me, but everything was done through lawyers, and she sold the school, and moved to another country I still don\rquote t know which is. The new owner of the school sold all of the purebred line of horses I had been breeding, and replaced them with worn out old mares, saying that the girls at the institute only needed to learn to ride, not join silly competitions, soon after the cafeteria started serving beans and bread everyday, and the girls attending told their parents about the severe economical condition the school was in and were soon transferred to other schools, leaving this one in sure bankrupt.\par \par Then your father came along and brought the school maybe three years ago, claiming it was the perfect place for his daughter to learn this countries language, and the students started coming back, some of the horses that were mine were brought back and Diablo was one of them, he had been sold off as a foal separated from his mother, he had been brought by a circus as the trick horse for a trapeze artist, which one day dug the spur to deep into his side and he threw her off fracturing both of her arms and left leg.\par \par Then I decided to train him for obstacle course hurdles, and got one of the girls to learn how to ride him, but she paid little to no attention to the advice I gave her and fell from his saddle in the middle of a competition in Kentucky, she was livid and decided to discipline him on the spot, taking a whip from one of the stable hands and cracked it hard down on his front legs, the horse went wild and charged her, stomping on her and cracked her skull.\par \par Then he was brought back and condemned to be put down, all of this happened maybe seven to eight months ago, and the people that were in charge of putting Diablo down decided to take the last advantage they could out of him and sold him for dog food, the dog food company that bought him were scheduled to pick him up on the same day you adopted him.\par \par So now do you understand why he is dangerous?\rdblquote\par \par \i0 Izayoi gasped at how sad the entire story seemed as tears pooled in her eyes, she nodded and looked down at the name tag she was fingering in her lap, \par \par \i\ldblquote I understand Mr. Samuels, but I believe there still is some good left in that horse, and I intend on giving him the life he deserves, yes I do understand he is wild spirited and he made his mistakes and all, but that does not mean everything was his fault, he is not a killer, he just reacted to what that girl was doing to him.\par \par I want you to burn this nametag and order a new one with this name written on it, as soon as possible, then after I determine that he is well fed and in good physical condition we will start practicing for a competition.\rdblquote\par \par \i0 Izayoi handed Jeremiah the wood nametag and wrote \b Aori\rquote s\b0 name on a piece of paper, she dried off her tears and excused herself, running back to her room, before anyone noticed she was out passed curfew.\par \par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\qc\b -&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-\par \pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\b0\par \b\fs24 Please Read & Review, reviews or comments are greatly appreciated...\par \pard\b0\f2\fs20\par 


	19. The Birth of a Prince

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:** Hello again! As I said I count with a lot of free time on my hands, and I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible since I couldn't keep lil' Sesshou waiting to be born any longer or Lora would burst!

"That poor girl! She almost died!"

But read just read I won't say anything else about the storyline, or I'll ruin everything nice in the chapter!

Well what else, umm oh yeah, it's a shorter chapter, just in case you hadn't noticed…I plan on updating again before the end of the month! Yay!

"_**Do not fear! I will complete this story if it takes all I have got!"**_

And as one of my favorite fanfic writers says:_**REVIEWS ARE INSPIRATION FOR MORE CHAPTERS!!!"**_

_**Japanese Meanings for words used in the chapter:**_

Yukata: a silk sleeping robe held together by an obi (belt) of the same nature.

Fundoshi: a long and soft strip of cloth used to wrap around the neither regions and act as our equivalent to modern day underwear (same style as ones seen on sumo wrestlers).

Youki: Mystical energy expelled by magical creatures of the Sengoku Jidai period, youkai magic of good nature.

Sesshoumaru: Perfect Death

Ren: Lily

Ume: Lily

Chiyo: Eternal

Tatami: Japanese mat style carpet, usually made from palm or hay or rich fibers in most cases used indoors for comfort.

Mate: Youkai equivalent of soul-mate or life partner.

Clan: equivalent of family for the Inu youkai in my story.

Crests: Marks youkai are born with to show royalty and semblance to their sire.

Naming Ceremony: a ceremony i made up to make the time family or/and clan get together to name their children in my story more important.

Inu no Taisho: Togas' station as Dog General in the manga and anime, Taisho will be used also as common denominator last name for all of Toga's decedents.

**Chapter 19: The Birth of a Prince, and what special love it brings…**

After a regular dinner, just like the one a few days ago, now ten days past their arrival at the mansion and no semblance of natural childbirth Toga was worried, more over what Ren had discovered about Lora's health, he then had approached Ren and asked her to take which ever action necessary for his heir to be born before the end of the week since Lora was now past due and on the verge of completing a full nine months when youkai only needed seven and a half to eight months of gestation period to properly develop.

Ren and Myouga met in the kitchen and discussed what was to be done, he informed Ren of all of the happenings on the trip towards the mansion, Ren nodded her head as she put her thoughts together and came to the conclusion that she had to take her chances and rush the birth of Toga's Heir.

She jotted down some herbs and essential oils she would need to put together a brew of tea she had only used twice in her life. Once when Ken's mother was about to die before birthing him, and then as Toga's mother fainted before beginning the onset of labor, in such circumstances Ren knew that the mother could not be saved, and that she had to find a way to save the child in anyway possible, the brew was so strong that it provoked immediate labor pains upon ingestion.

This time it was different since Lora was in no danger of dying, at least not by birthing her son, so she had to alter the brew to only trigger labor, she changed the poison ivy leaves for rose petals, and finished jotting down everything else. After Myouga was on his way Ren then called Ume and ordered her to go hover around Lora so she would lose her patience, then she sent Maki to Toga's sleeping quarters to inform him that Ren would administer the birthing potion to Lora, and to stay in his room until she called for him.

With that the only thing left to assure was the room they would use for Lora to give birth in, she had to be in a room where no male could have been for a long time, and should not be able to smell any male in the immediate area. Being in the same room as birthing Inu Youkai bitch was very dangerous if you did not know how to handle yourself. So she had Noah and Chiyo dress in pure white linens and scrub the walls and floors down with hydrogen peroxide, then Noah carted in a chair used to accommodate the birthing female, it had a soft cushioned back, the seat was oval and cut out in shape of a half circle, so when she had to engage into a crouching position using stirrups she would not feel to uncomfortable.

A basin was placed beneath the chair to hold any birthing fluids, blood and afterbirth. The warm water to bathe the infant, clothes and swaddling cloth was left ready upon the table to Ren's left, the table on the right contained surgical utensils, if by any case that the birth got complicated and the mother died in the process, she then had to cut the child out.

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Lora was on the verge of lashing out in the most primal ways at the pest of a maid Ren had sent to care for her while she took her evening bathe_. It must be a conspiracy! ´_

"…but Lady Lora, are you sure you don't want me to scrub your back?"

"No…"

"How about I bring you some more warm water, that water looks tepid already,"

"No…"

"Well how about some more fragrance oils? Surely you liked the gardenia essential oil right? I made it myself…"

"No, no, no and no!"

""Oh don't loose your temper lady Lora, remember it is bad for the baby" said Ume.

"Then stop bugging me you dimwit! Just leave me alone you useless twit!"

Lora grabbed a sponge that floated by her in the tub and flung it towards the maid, missing her by just a hair; Ume ducked and wiped the splashed water from her cheek.

"Damn it Ume! Just leave me alo-ne MMMPH!"

"Is everything alright Lady Lora? Do you need anything?"

Lora gripped underneath her extended belly as she felt for the baby through her pain. She closed her eyes and tried breathing through the pain, but was unsuccessful to no avail. The pain withdrew itself from her lower abdomen and for this Lora was grateful, she pressed her back into the cool marble of the tub, and gathered herself, and then she threw the towel at Ume, making sure she had hold of it; Lora pulled herself to her feet with great difficulty and wrapped herself up in the towel Ume was extending for her, the pain once again pulling on her lower belly.

"Ume please go and bring me something to calm my nerves, and make a rush of it! I don't want my baby to be born yet, I don't want to let him go yet, come on you twit move!"

Lora said as she pulled a thick bathrobe on and sat on the edge of her bed. The pain once again in its full blown glory and Lora screamed as she rolled into a fetal position clutching her belly. Kenichii heard all this and pounded the wall making the paintings adorning it rattle and dust to fall from the support beams, _Why? Why do I have to sit hear and listen to this? Why can't I help her? ´_

Kentaro pulled him away from the wall and pushed him into the leather chair in the corner of the library. They had been instructed to stay away from whatever happened that night, but Kenichii was having a rough time, his youkai threatening to come out on to the surface and making sure it's self-proclaimed mate was O.K.

Toga was in a similar situation but he was worried about his son, if he would be born healthy and well, it was the only reason he had brought Lora with him to America, so his son would live his childhood without having to experience nor watch gore and bloody battles in plain daylight. His son deserved to have a tranquil childhood, and conserve his innocent state of mind for as much time possible.

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Ume arrived at the kitchen with word of the abdominal pains Lora was currently suffering, Ren's eyebrows shot up under her thick salt and pepper bangs. She quickly poured the tea into a pot and gave Ume the tray with sweet cookies to disguise the evident, and so Lora wouldn't know that they were provoking her birth, the smell of the potion very faint and disguised by the rose petals and essential oils.

Ume rushed the tray to Lora's room pouring a cup of the concoction and offering it to her mistress, Lora easily agreed and drunk the cup of warm liquid quickly. Ume then put the cup back on the tray, and sat on the edge of the bed, using a handkerchief left on the nightstand to wipe Lora's brow which was damp with cold sweat.

Minutes rushed by and Lora's moans increased in pitch, she no longer felt comfortable lying on her side and now rested flat on her back. Moaning and mumbling incoherent phrases all the while. Then a strong pain hit, making Lora grab onto Ume's arm in a death grip and stumble out of bed, she knelt and clutched her belly with her free hand, Lora felt a warm sticky liquid gushed out from between her legs, but she was relieved to feel the child still moving inside her, the pain inside was to great and she gave in to her will, screaming at the top of her lungs for Toga, Toga heard this and started pacing around the enclosed area of his room stopping every few minutes to look menacingly at the door.

Kenichii stood upright knocking his brother off balance as he heard Lora scream, of course he had had his couple of experiences with females in labor, his household was once full of females, cousins and servants alike, and ever so often one would come upon the time to give birth, but none of what he heard as a kid in his early childhood household compared to the traumatizing agony he was sure Lora was going through at the time. Kenichii used his youkai ability to move faster than this brother and was out the door and down the hall almost knocking down the study oak door to Lora's room in the blink of an eye.

Kenichii knelt before Lora on the hardwood floor, he knew something was wrong, she was in too much pain, and it was tearing him apart from inside to see her agonizing in such way, _Toga shouldn't allow this´_, the strong odor of Lora's pre-birth fluids stung his sensitive nostrils, but he decided to push it aside as he reached out and started trying to pry her death grip from Ume's arm. He then hefted her up bridal style in his arms and walked quickly toward the room where he could smell Ren in, arriving at the door, he placed her upon the birthing chair and sat behind her supporting her upper body and giving his arms for her to hold on.

He locked eyes with Ren, and signaled for her to come close, Ren frowned and approached him signaling for him to leave; he shook his head as he explained the circumstances for his presences in hushed tones,

"…Kenichii boy, you must leave, she can not feel you nor smell you near while she is in labor, otherwise I am going to have to chain her down to the chair and subdue her the hard way…"

_Growl_

"No nana Ren, you don't understand, something is wrong she was in pain before Ume gave her the potion, her water already broke and she keeps gripping under her belly, please nana, please I have to be here…"

Ren shrugged, and motion for him to wash his hands in the antiseptic basin on the surgical table,

"…Well if you say so, I don't see Toga saying the negative my boy, go wash up and support her from behind, give her strength, by what you say it sounds like there could be complications in the birth of the little one…"

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Ren blinked in surprise as Kenichii busted through the door to the birthing room. But after she got one glimpse at the deviled Lora she decided that there were other matters of extreme importance. She made quick work of rearranging Lora's posture on the chair, pulling her feet into the cold metal stirrups and checking how many centimeters she had dilated, her cervix already had thinned out and moved forward, within a few seconds Lora was hit with another wave of contractions, this one bringing along a lot of show, Lora whined and held strong onto Kenichii's arms for support, Ren said nothing of this and tested the position of the child by pressing on the top of Lora's belly earning a string of expletives from said patient.

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours and Lora scrambled, screamed and moaned in the uncomfortable position the chair provided her, she joined her knees every time a contraction hit, hoping to delay at least a bit more the child's birth, but by doing this she brought more unnecessary pain upon herself, and would quickly loose all her strength or would pass out from shear exhaustion. Ren massaged and felt for the baby's posture over and under Lora's belly, noticing she had expelled almost all the pre-birth fluids, meaning that she would have to start pushing before the birth started getting risky.

Kenichii narrowed his gaze at Ren and she only met him stare for stare, nothing needed to be said as they nodded and each pushed Lora's posture forward, Ren pushed on her knees so she wouldn't try to pin them together, and Kenichii on her upper body so she wouldn't arch away from the chair as the next wave of contractions came, this time expanding dilatation for the full six centimeters, by the next contraction Lora would be ready to push. Ren pulled the chair Lora was in into a full crouching position and pushed down on her belly provoking the next contraction, Lora screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to get out of the chair, but was held down by Kenichii, Ren slapped her knees to get her attention and get her to quit trying to pin them together as she called out to her,

"Lady Lora it is time, when the next contraction hits you need to push, are you ready? On my count…1, 2, 3…push Lora!"

Lora whined and scrambled in the chair, never in her entire life had she experienced such pain, she felt like she was being run through by a sledge hammer, the baby's' head was large, even for youkai standards, or was it because she had delayed the birth more than necessary? The pain she was feeling increased ten fold as Ren pushed down on her belly again and barked out for her to push, she panted and whined poor Lora was seeing stars by the second push. The death grip she held on Kenichii's arms never faltering as she leaned back into his embrace and whined in defeat,

"Ichi, I can't, I tried, but I can't, this is too hard, I can't loose my baby, I can't do this anymore…please Ichi make it stop…please make it stop!"

Kenichii felt tears swarm in his eyes, if there was something in this world that could make him feel helpless was hearing Lora whimper and cry in agony and defeat, and not being able to help her. He whispered sweet nothings into the shell of her ear, promising better and brighter moments only if she completed the task of giving birth to her son. Ren called their attention and put their minds back on track informing them that the baby could suffocate if he wasn't born soon, but before any of this happened she would gladly cut Lora open and save the baby herself.

"Lora honey, you need to keep going, you need to do this, and you need to give birth to your son. I promise everything will be better after he is born, I promise, but you have to keep going love…keep pushing koi…"

"No Ichi, I don't want to give my baby to Toga, he's mine, I can't do this, I really can't! It's too hard! It hurts too much! Please Ichi make it stop…save my baby Ichi, but please make it stop…!"

"Be quite both of you! Stop wasting precious time damn it! If you don't push Lora I will gladly cut you open and save the child myself, if you don't push he will suffocate from lack of air and Lord Toga can not and will not lose his Heir, so PUSH!"

Lora whined and gripped harder onto Kenichii's arms drawing thin strings of blood with her delicate claws, as she pushed with all her might. She felt the head and shoulders slide through, followed by the hips and chubby legs, a few seconds later the trauma and agony was over, the child was born. Ren cut the umbilical cord and slapped the baby's rump earning her an earful of long expected sobbing and screaming. Toga ran down the hall and waited outside the door patiently for Ren to present him with his child. She made quick work of bathing and clothing him, then she presented the baby to Toga's waiting arms, just outside the room in the hall,

"Congratulations are in order Lord Toga, it is a strong and healthy baby boy, be careful now hold his head and the other hand goes under his rump like this…"

Ren showed Toga how to hold his son and let him alone with the child, to finish attending Lora as she expelled the afterbirth and the rest of the liquid and placenta. She cleaned her and wrapped her neither region in a soft cotton fundoshi and quilt motioning Kenichii to move her over to a more comfortable bed located in the same room. Lora was asleep in scarce minutes after Ren let her settle down. Kenichii kissed her forehead and excused himself from the room, using the open window to exit the room and climb up to his rooms' windowsill.

He sat on the veranda ledge and lit a cigarette while he looked out over the countryside. He had helped Lora through her birth for the simple and selfish reason of wanting her to be rid of her commitment to the Inu no Taisho and finally be free to be his when the time came, and also because if she died giving birth to Toga's son then there would be noting in his life left to keep wishing and dreaming for, Lora was the key to all his dreams becoming true, and that was that.

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Ren joined toga in the room across the hall where he had temporarily accommodated with the baby while she attended the post-partum process with Lora, he was sitting in front of the lit fireplace, in a large leather sofa, with the baby in his arms, he had long ago stopped sobbing and given in to sleep in the comfort of his sires' arms. Toga's dark blue crests and golden eyes shone in the dancing firelight, as he looked down upon his son and kissed his forehead, his child had inherited the poison nature of Lora's clan, and bore the same teal crescent moon on his ivory brow. A silver tuff of hair visible from the top of his swaddling cloth and his cherub face adorned with very thin twin arcs of magenta youkai crests on both his rosy cheeks, one of his tiny chubby hands gripped on to Toga's thumb, his miniature claws also bore the color of his crests on the tips.

Toga then acknowledged her presence and gave a brief nod, and looked back down upon his slumbering son as Ren quietly informed him that Lora had awoken from her exhaustion induced nap and that everyone was readily waiting outside of the room to perform the Naming Ceremony, in which the child drunk the first milk from his mothers' breast and his sire acknowledged his birth and named him in front of all the important members of the family and clan, proclaiming his son and also heir.

Toga nodded and stood walking towards the door, that Ren had left ajar to cross the hall and enter the other room, Ren called out to him, and he stopped in his tracks and looked back,

"Lord Toga?"

"Lord Toga, forgive my insolence but why was Kenichii present in your sons' birth, I had thought that if anybody would be present it would be you…?"

"Is there some affair going on between Lord Kenichii and Lora?"

Toga sighed in defeat and nodded, then took one more step towards the door and decided to respond Ren's questions, I was the least he could do,

"Nana Ren, I only married Lora to have her birth me a strong and worthy heir, and as you also should know she will be not my problem after my son is weaned off her milk, so if there is an affair going on between them it is of no importance, and if it does not present an inconvenience to my station nor my son's welfare I will allow it, the least I want right now is for Lora to go back to her behavior before his birth, you must already have been informed of such happenings by Myouga, am I right?

Ren nodded and bowed to her Lord as he finished walking out of the room,

"Hai Lord Toga…"

And just as Toga exited the room and crossed the hall, Ren gave a silent plea inside her head,

_Oh my long lived Ken-sama! Just what kind of situation do I have on my hands now? ´_

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Lora was arranged atop numerous fluffy pillows and clean blankets after she awoke, her mind was still hazy from the after effects of the potion that Ume had supplied her with, so Ren had taken upon herself the task of cleaning and dressing her in more proper robes, and sitting her up on the bed and fixing her posture with pillows. Chiyo was sent in with a light dinner and broth so she could start replenishing her strength, and would be ready to breastfeed her child as soon as Toga named him.

After the plates were cleared from the room and Ren finished brushing her hair up in a tidy topknot, she asked to have the curtains drawn so she could observe the sliver of moon visible through the clouds, _waning half moon´,_ she smiled, _I managed to keep my son with me until the waning half moon, thank you Kami-sama for allowing me to be well after his birth…´_

Soon after Toga entered the room and stood at the side of the bed next to her, waiting for the servants and his cousins to file in accordingly so the ceremony could begin. After everybody had settled down on the tatami mat, he began his speech;

"Fellow clan members, my cousins Kenichii and Kentaro, my dear nana Ren and my loyal retainer Myouga, and assisting loyal servants of the House of Inu, today is a grand day for our clan, we have been blessed with the arrival of my son and heir, he is the first grandson of our deceased Lord Ruler Ken-sama, he is first born of my station, and so I Toga Inu no Taisho, proclaim this child my first royal lineage born son, he bears the same teal crescent moon on his forehead as his mother's clan and magenta crests, gold eyes and silver hair in semblance of my person, and so my son shall be named _Sesshoumaru_´"

Toga unwrapped his son from the swaddling cloth and held him up for everybody to see,

"All attending fellow clan members bow down to your prince and heir Sesshoumaru…"

Everybody bowed down touching their forehead with the tatami mats and then sat up, to watch as Toga handed the child to Lora to cuddle and breastfeed for the first time in the short period she would be able to tend to his newborn needs.

After the ceremony was over they all filed out in quiet orderly fashion and resumed their daily tasks in the busy household.

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Lora basked in glory as her first born son suckled noisily on her nipple, she had not been happy with the name Toga had awarded her son with, her selection would have been _Yuudai´_ or something prettier, something fit for her beautiful baby boy. But she had not been informed that non-mated mothers did not have the choice of suggesting a name for their newborn child.

She frowned as her son pulled a bit too hard on her breast causing her to grit her teeth and refrain from educating him in not pulling her nipple, but she did not have the authority to do so, if she did Toga had the authority to punish her and chain her down while his son was held to breastfeed by a member of his staff.

She slouched as the weight of all the happenings in the day came down on her and Ren was by her side in a blink of an eye, to relieve her of the now sleeping baby. He was accommodated in the opposite side of the room next to bed in an oak wood crib and white first down blankets. Ren would be sleeping in the room across the hall, so if he awoke in the middle of the night, she would be able to assist him and attend to his needs quicker.

After she re-adjusted Lora's garments and pulled a blanket over her chest, she felt her brow for any sign of fever, finding none Ren nodded and checked the wall clock for the last time the baby was fed, so she would be able to calculate how long it would be until his next feeding and be by his side before he started crying. Then Ren checked on the baby one last time and exited the room, closing the door behind her, her enhanced youkai senses capable of hearing the baby through the thick oak doors of Lora's sleeping quarters.

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After all the noise died down in the mansion Kenichii slipped off the ledge of the balcony in his sleeping quarters and summoned a cloud of youki under his feet to fly over to the ledge of Lora's room, he touched down silently outside her window and pushed open the windows that Ren had forgotten to check in her old age, he smirked and shook his head knowingly of the nature of the words that could spurt from her mouth if he ever mentioned that she forgot to do something required of her station;

"…_Oh and by the way nana Ren, last night I found Lora's window left open and unlocked, somebody could have easily slipped in and taken Toga's son without you noticing so…"_

"_Oh! By the Gods! Stop your foolish blubbering right this minute, I did no such thing and might I remind you that I raised you, you two-timing scoundrel you!"_

Kenichii slipped into the room without making a sound and locked the window behind him, he stood basking in the ethereal beauty that Lora portrayed lying in bed wearing only a white silk yukata and her waist length hair spayed out around her gone loose of the once tidy topknot Ren had arranged it in, her skin luminescent and rosy parted lips visible in the beam of moonlight that danced over her figure through the window pane. His slowly approached her sleeping figure to grace her tempting lips with a long awaited but very brief and chaste kiss, and then he slid into bed next to her and played with a lock of her blue-grey hair while he safe guarded her slumber.

Kenichii nuzzled her cheek and whispered sweet nothings into her ear as he drifted off to sleep, but not before he proclaimed his love for her, and forgot the episode from long ago in the bathroom of the cruise ship on their way towards this new land.

"You did well today Lora, I must congratulate you for being brave enough to give birth to your son koi, I know how important he is to you,"

"I must admit that I had doubts about you being able to do the right thing and let nature take it's course, I was worried you would die birthing him because you were past due, I don't know what I would have done if you would have left me Lora, I am nobody without you, and you are mine, even if you don't know it yet…"

"I apologize for what I said on the ship koi, I don't know what I was thinking…I-I need to tell you that I cant live without you,"

"I need to tell you that I love you and that I am a fool to say this while you are sleeping…"

He sighed and draped a muscular arm over her sleeping form, but he did not notice that subtle twitch in the corner of her lips nor the silent tear that raced down her pale skin all the way down to her chin, Lora sighed and curled up to him as she to acknowledged her feelings for him,

"Thank you for staying by my side Ichi, I need to tell you that I love you too, I need to be by your side everyday and have you feel me near you from this day forward…"

Lora drifted off into peaceful slumber in her lover's arms, and that was how Ren found them the next morning when she entered the room to wake her so the baby could be breastfed.


	20. All the pretty Horseys

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:** Yes, i know it has been a VERY LONG WHILE, sheesh I thought i would never get over that writer's block. And bam! a few months, ten cups of fresh brewed coffee and fifteen real hours later, I get chapter twenty of the printer. Buckle your seatbelts please, we will expirience brief time jumps throught the chapter. Just a heads up, pay attention to the dates, they will be utterly important for the next few chapters. For those few that do me the honor of reading my humble musings, I am forever grateful you put up with me, I have no excuse for the lack of update, all I will say is Life sucks and then some...

I am still searching for a beta to pull my ears on my grammar and repetitive nature, who knows maybe someday I might find one...

Enough rambling already, without further adue, A Mapped Life: Chapter 20: All the pretty horses, and all the kings men...

**February 19****th**** 1970, Sesshoumaru six months old, **

**Location: Taisho Mansion Boston Massachusetts,**

**Sesshoumaru's birthday is set as October 17****th**** 1969**

**Manami's birthday is set as November 7****th**** 1969.**

Toga was dazed on how fast his avid toddler was growing, just a few months back he was holding his chubby hands as he taught him to walk, and now he had to keep things out of his reach so he wouldn't put them in his mouth, or rend useless with his sharp baby canines.

Task which at the time carried him occupied, Sesshoumaru had managed to climb up to his desk and tear through some very important peace treaties that Toga had left lying about carelessly, now he would have to come up with a good explanation so the other clan could send him a new copy, or what was he to say?

"_Yeah this is Toga Inu no Taisho, I am calling to require a new copy of the peace treaty you had provided me with, since my son managed to use it for poison-claw target practice…yes two copies sound well,"_

Toga shook his head disapprovingly at the shreds the papyrus scroll had become, he would soon have to milk the babies claws and send for an antidote to be made, he was getting to smart for the staffs' own good. And Ren had taken a good couple of lashings with a miniature energy whip, things that Toga had still not taught him, _who knows? Maybe he is an early learner? Or maybe Lora is teaching him?' _Toga unceremoniously shrugged at his musings.

Then he was brought back to the present when he heard a loud thud followed by a crash, and a yelp signaling his child was in the middle of another exploration of the kitchen area. He ran down the stairs, through the courtyard and into the kitchen area, where now little Sesshoumaru was sporting a crock pot as a helmet and a large cooking spoon as a sword, which at the moment he held pointing menacingly at the head cook. Said cook was blue in the face and fresh cut vegetables were spread everywhere, apparently little Sesshoumaru thought it lucrative to take over the kitchen before lunchtime, and the cook was not having none of it. Toga swooped down and removed the large pot from his son's head and took the "sword" from him giving it back to the cook.

"Come on now Sesshou surely you don't want to render us cook-less we need to eat, to be big strong and healthy, and the cook would sure like to keep providing us with said food, so how about we go find Oka-san and play?"

Little Sesshou clapped his chubby clawed hands excitedly and swayed his head from side to side, spilling his spun silver hair everywhere, as his father took off with him down the hall and towards the study, area where he could sense Lora occupying, she relished in the warmth that the study provided, she had taken over it soon after she was declared fit to move around again after birthing Sesshoumaru, and she basked in the cozy environment not to mention she could barely feel the chill of winter soon to pass, the cold season still blowing out it's full worth in Massachusetts.

One of the many reasons why the former Inu no Taisho chose this location, he liked the snow, and used to come to the mansion when it was summer in Okinawa; he would retreat to these silent mountains, and dense forests escaping from tediously boring peace treaty meetings, and grandeur tea parties that the ladies of the high youkai society liked to through in his favor, and so on and so forth.

Toga stopped dry in his tracks and whirled around to look at the view of the mountains peaks still covered in heavy white snow. His son now five months and a half old blinked curiously and extended his little hands toward the cold glass pane, running his warm fingers in circles and leaving behind a messy pattern of squiggles and stripes.

"Look at all of this son, this will also be yours when you are old enough to help your father rule over this land, we shall do it together, I will show you how to reign a empire and you will keep me sane, just you and me son, just you and me…"

Sesshoumaru bounced up and down trying to free himself from the hold Toga had on him so he could trot outside on the wooden deck, but he stopped all squirming when he heard the shrill giggle and unceremonious squeak that his mother intoned down below.

_Oh and there is the case with those two, when will they ever come out and tell me that they feel for each other, it´s not like I am going to stay married to Lora, her time at my side has come to an end, she will be free to do as she pleases soon, will my cousin ever come up to me and honor her will marrying her? I do hope so since this is getting way out of hand, and the gossip can not leave the sanctuary of this estate, or else I am inline for a pre-nuptial lawsuit, and long tedious explanation to the neighboring clans!'_

Toga stood gazing over the second story of the study overlooking the four grand walls stacked wall to wall in famous literature and encyclopedias that had been accumulated over the years by his honorable father. The fireplace was lit with a colorful display of embers, two figures lay atop the bear pelt on the floor, their laughter and whispers could barely be made over the crackle of the dry firewood.

Kenichii and Lora basked in their new love openly in front of the servants and visitors that often came along to deliver messages from neighboring estates and youkai entities. They hugged and stole bashful kisses in the rosebush maze in the garden, and passionately embraced one another in the crisp dew of the waning moon. They slept together almost everyday, in the room that was Sesshoumaru's nursery, and if Toga didn't put a stop to it soon, little Sesshoumaru would soon start thinking that Kenichii was his father, not him, and that was something that Toga would not tolerate.

Toga cleared his throat and descended the stairs with his son in his arms, Sesshoumaru cuddling closer to his father's embrace, looking at his mother out of the corner of his eye, her flushed face and mussed hair not the appearance he was accustomed to see her wear.

"Oh! Toga you should have heard the story Ichi just told me, see it had this prince and a farmer girl, the prince was hurt and the girl found him and nursed him back to health and…"

"Lora"

"Yes?"

"Have you two decided when you would grace my person with the knowledge that you and Kenichii have been spending more time in each others company?"

"Why, I, I mean we…"

"What was that now? Did you think me blind, deaf, and ignorant? Did you think I wouldn't notice this?"

"Why no, it's just that we were waiting to…"

"Waiting to what my dear? Waiting until lust got the better of you two and you bared him a son also? Please woman, don't think me a fool!"

"Inu it was nothing like that! Don't say things that you don't know if they are true!"

"Why Lora my dear do you forget that I am also a full Inu youkai, and the Taiyoukai at that, my sense of smell is greater than yours, of course I know you two go down to the frozen rose maze and bask in each other…"

"It's not that way Inu! Ichi and I have done none of that yet, I respect my son and I respect my dignity, I would never be with another man while I am still married to you."

"Good, then it is time to sign the divorce contract, the six months are up, Sesshoumaru is more than ready to be on his own and eat solid foods, I don't want the messengers running their mouths to their lords of the shows you two put on in my sons' nursery room and balcony."

"Toga! You don't know what you are saying, stop it at once!"

"Oh of course I know what I am saying, don't try to fool me Lora; you are just accomplishing the task of digging yourself a whole much deeper than it already is…"

"But Inu, my baby is still five months old! You said you promised that I would be able to stay with him until he was six months old! That was the arrangement!"

"Oh Lora, did you forget that you delayed your birth a month a half? So he technically is six months a half old."

Lora stumbled to her feet and reached for the baby, but Sesshoumaru held his fathers' shirt tighter and hid his face in the crook of his neck. All the screaming between his parents and the anxiety radiating off Lora made him insecure in her presence, little Sesshoumaru whimpered and dug his baby claws into his father's chest when Lora tried pulling him away from him. Toga growled menacingly at Lora and spun around cradling his son in a reassuring embrace.

"Lora don't you ever try taking my son away from me, if you try fleeing with my son, I so much as swear that I will have your heart on a platter you two timing conniving wench!"

With that said Toga continued his silent march toward the door, and left without uttering another word, his presence a mere flicker of warmth left in the room, Lora looked at Kenichii and at the half open door, now she had to choose between love and devotion, her son or Kenichii, the decision would be hers to take, but irrevocable, in the sense that if she chose staying with Kenichii she would never see her son until his twenty first birthday, that was the way the contract was made out, if the mother met somebody and got emotionally attached to said person, she would not be able to see the child until he was considered an adult for youkai society.

Kenichii who had stayed quiet through out all of the conversation, stood and walked up behind Lora, wrapping his arms around her frail body in a reassuring manner, whispering sweet promises of a better future in her ear. Lora turned into his embrace and laid her head on his shoulder and a hand over his heart.

"I love my son Ichi, but I can't stand being away from you, you gave my life reason, I choose to be with you…"

Kenichii tightened his arms around her and put a hand on her head, offering his beloved silent comfort, and the time she needed to mourn the loss of her child. Lora had chosen love over devotion, Kenichii over Sesshoumaru, and now there was no going back.

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The following morning Toga sat behind a large redwood desk in the room he had redecorated to use as an office, in front of him sat Lora and Kenichii, and atop the desk rested the divorce contract, in which the clauses for the divorce to take place where highlighted in bold letters, nothing was said as first Toga and then Lora signed release of the marriage agreement, then Kenichii added his signature to testify that he was the person who Lora fell in love with, reason why she would not get to see her son until maturity.

Toga extended a sealed non-descript envelope towards Lora, she took it, and stood, a brief glance inside confirmed her suspicions; he was paying her off so she wouldn't have to come back for anything in a long time. Kenichii stood beside her, and bowed to Toga, he unrolled a parchment, the same type used for the previous marriage, as he explained his reasons to Toga he signed it and sealed it in his blood, gesturing for Lora to do the same, after she did Toga signed as witness and rolled the parchment up handing it back to Kenichii, he bowed and exited the office, walking out toward the deck his hair fluttered behind him in the crisp morning wind.

Kenichii tucked the parchment securely into his coat pocket and embraced Lora, he smiled and kissed her passionately, but her responses were half witted compared to how torn she felt inside, he led her down the stairs and out of the mansion, where a car was waiting to usher them to their new home. Toga had seen beforehand to helping his cousins find their own place, they decided to settle in a quiet almost secluded estate they bought from a human old man in Colorado, who used it as a winter vacation getaway. The house was located atop a cliff, surrounded by large trees and dense foliage, it had large windows that covered both lower stories and four chimneys, all in all it was a nice quiet place for Kenichii to retreat and start his own family.

Kentaro decided to stay with Toga, and help him watch over Sesshoumaru, the next few years of the tikes' life would be hard, they would have to be by his side until he was able to fend for himself, and knowing that they had a declared enemy was all the worst. Toga had arranged for Emi to travel and meet up with them the following week. He got hold of news that Lord Takumi was killed by the dragon's goons, leaving Lora heir to his empire, and his millions.

The week passed by and Emi finally arrived, she had a long trip and was still experiencing bouts of sea sickness that made her trip towards the mainland all the more taxing. Ren tended to her and she was back to her pregnant, happy self sooner than expected.

A quarter moon cycle later she gave birth to an adorable baby girl, who Kentaro and Emi decided to name Manami after a long and heated discussion. The girl was perfect copy of Emi's facial features and peachy skin but had inherited her father's copper hair, and icy blue eyes. Another thing that had both Emi and Kentaro surprised was that she was born with crests, in a light blue color that arched over her cheekbone in twin stripes, and both chubby wrists, the same as her father's, that with time would grow darker and more accentuated over specific parts of her body.

Manami was full Inu youkai, since both Emi and Kentaro were of the same breed, but her mother descended from a working class family and her father from a noble family, that is why they never knew that she would inherit Kentaro's bloodline and crests.

Sesshoumaru had taken Manami in as he would a sibling, and soon there was no stopping them, when Manami felt distressed she would start crying and little Sesshoumaru would pitch in, soon their bawling would grow into a wailing contest that nobody not even Toga knew how to put an end to.

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**October 17****th**** 1970, Sesshoumaru one year old, Manami six months and a half old.**

**Location: Taisho Mansion.**

Months passed by and Sesshoumaru turned one year old, and little Manami turned six months and a half old. It was late autumn and the trees had already started to lose their foliage, the leaves turning an interesting shade of orange, brown and gold. Toga went back to traveling around the world meeting with business partners, while he was gone he left Sesshoumaru under Kentaro's care, but it was Emi who had to run after the hyperactive pair of tikes. Toga had allowed Emi to place Manami and Sesshoumaru in the same nursery, that way they would have an easier time taking care and picking up after them both.

During one of his brief visits back at the mansion Toga milked Sesshoumaru's claws clean of the poison nature he had inherited from his mother, so he could bottle the poison and take it to an old youkai healer to get the antidote, now that his son and his niece were spending a large amount of time together accidents and brawls tended to happen. The antidote was in delivered to Ren's care in capsules a week later, just in time to treat Manami of a nasty gash across the forehead Sesshoumaru had landed in a messy fight for Emi's attention that afternoon, and by nightfall Manami was declared immune to Sesshoumaru's poison.

The cold season settled in, bringing forth Christmas eve, and it was spent in family, Kentaro, Emi, and Manami, Toga, Sesshoumaru, Ren and Myouga all sat around the dinner table to feast on Christmas dinner and catch up on each others' lives, both tikes sat next to each other babbling in Inu and Japanese, Toga was surprised on how much they had learned together with the help of Ren and Emi they would be speaking full phrases in a few more months.

The time came to gather around the tree Emi and Kentaro had taken time to put up, honoring the western celebration for Christmas and had gone out to town to buy everyone a present. They got Myouga a new pipe and Ren a new television since she liked watching soap operas so much. Kentaro handed Emi the keys to a new town car, and she in return gifted him a new set of biking leathers to replace the one he had left behind in Okinawa when the had to leave without notice. Toga gifted Myouga and Ren a closed envelope and two roundtrip tickets to Hawaii, so they could go on a weeks paid vacation. Then he handed Kentaro a bulky envelope, and asked him to open it when he was alone with Emi. The kids received knitted coats from Ren and Myouga, and little sleds and bikes with training wheels from Toga, and Emi got those building blocks and other toys to keep them interested and occupied for the time being. The rest of the evening was spent listening to the radio and drinking eggnog.

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**November 7****th**** 1975, Sesshoumaru six years and a half old, Manami's birthday, she turns six.**

**Location: Midsummer Acres, Breeding farm.**

"Oh daddy! Look at that one! And that one, oh look at all the pretty horses!"

"Yes dear…"

"Daddy look at the spotted one, and the freckled one, and the tan colored one, did you see them daddy?!"

"Yes dear…"

"Daddy I can't believe you finally brought me to Midsummer Acres! I always wanted to see and pet all these horseys! I love you so much daddy!"

"I love you too dear, so much…"

Little Manami was running around from paddock to paddock, petting and hand-feeding the horses apples she made sure her father stopped to buy before they reached the farm. It was her sixth birthday and in some odd moment last week she had mischievously managed to convince her father to bring her here for her birthday.

"Daddy, thank you so much for bringing me here on my birthday!"

"You're welcome sugar puff…"

"Oh daddy, I like this horsey so much, can I have one when I am old enough, huh daddy can I can I?"

"Oh I don't know koi, where would you keep it? Are you sure you won't get bored of it like you're puppy? I mean Muffin is so lonely sometimes, you don't like to play with him anymore…"

"Oh daddy that's because Muffin got so big now, I can ride him like a horse…"

Her mother stood dumbstruck as the little pigtailed she-devil worked her magic on her father. I was like watching a train wreck; you just can't bring yourself to look away…

Said puppy was her pet Great Dane, which one day she saw in the pet store window and just had to have, and stood as tall as Myouga on all four paws, which was reason enough for Manami not wanting to take him out on his daily stroll through the woods until she was older. Emi shook her head at her daughters' antics and even more at her mates' helpless behavior; he didn't know when to say no to the girl, she got anything and everything she asked for, with only batting her eyelashes at him.

Emi frowned as she mulled it over, _note to self: try it sometime, see if it works for me too, there's that ticket for the movies and those red shoes I've been dying to have…´_

Emi snapped back to the present as she saw her daughter be hefted over the fence by her father to then be pulled up to ride in front of a stable hand, which was riding a lively looking mare.

"Oi Taro! Snap out of it you ass! Just look at what my little girl is doing! She could hurt or killed, or gravely injured!"

"Don't sweat it babe, look at her, she already rides like a champ, and still hasn't taken a riding lesson in her entire life, and lil' Sesshou is not far behind, see?" He said as he pointed towards the neighboring paddock where Sesshoumaru was trying his luck at riding a pinto mare all by him self.

"Kentaro you twit what do you think your cousin will say when we bring his son back in two pieces for him to patch up? Opps I dropped him? No Such Luck! Now get my kids off those damn animals before I break out the Sais!"

The stable hands and other visitors surrounding them started to laugh but thought better of it as soon as she leveled them with a formidable glare. Taro leapt off his perch on the wooden fence and jogged up to the horse Sesshoumaru was riding, and pulled him off, then did the same with Manami, he hefted both kids on his back and made silent ways back to the car.

"Daddy why is mommy so mad? Did I do something to make her mad at me?"

"No sugar, you have done no such thing, mommy is just stressed and maybe tired of all the work she has to do at home, just be quiet for the rest of the trip back home and don't say anything about this to her…"

"Ok daddy, here she comes…"

Emi stormed up to the car, opened the door and slammed it with as much force that Kentaro almost thought it was going to come off at the hinges. She made sure both kids had their seatbelt on and buckled up, then proceeded to cross her arms and glare out the window waiting for him to start the car and drive back to the mansion. Nothing was said for the rest of the trip and the kids all but ejected from their designated seats when the car came to a stop outside the front door. Once they were alone, Kentaro let his head drop back onto the headrest.

"Emi, I understand you worry about them, because they have been placed in our care, but they are kids, and they have the right to play around and have fun. They are youkai, and take a lot more to get hurt. Toga knows that and you should realize that to, I am your mate and you should trust and respect me a little more, Sesshoumaru is my nephew and Manami is my baby girl, I am always going to protect them, even if it means putting my life on the line to do it, if you don't trust me to take care of them, then you should rethink you're current status as my wife and mate…"

Kentaro left without another word leaving Emi gasping for air, she was worried, mortified, and her motherly instincts kicked in, but never under any circumstance did she want to belittle Kentaro in public, but she did and now she had hell to pay for.

The day went by and Manami, Sesshoumaru and even Ren made use of the sleds that were found lying in the storage shed, they beamed down a curved hilltop for the rest of the afternoon, Kentaro keeping an ever watchful eye on them. Then they went inside and warmed up around the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows and eating grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches, while Taro told stories of their Grandfather Ken in the feudal ages. The kids played twister and watched television for the rest of the afternoon. Ren sent them upstairs to brush their teeth and wash their hands, so Taro could tuck them in.

-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

Emi stayed secluded inside their bedroom for the rest of the day, watching the children play outside in the snow and heard them laugh while they played in the study. After that she heard the faucet churning water while they washed up for bed. And was finally graced buy Kentaro's presence after he put them to bed.

He washed up in their private bath and dressed for bed, not uttering one syllable to her, he rolled toward the opposite wall and within minutes was asleep, she never got to apologize to him.

Emi sighed, the tension radiating off her body in waves, she frowned while she drew herself a bath, moaning as her tense muscles flexed under the hot water, a while later she joined Kentaro in bed and curled up into herself, wrapping the fleece blanket around herself, she fell asleep thinking…_isn't there a saying that says "never go to bed mad at each other"?...´_

**A/N:** Thank you for reading, I respect custructive critism, how about some?


	21. Burning Dreams

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:**** Alright people, I'm back, yes I know it has been dragged along oh so very much, but I had to give Izayoi time to grow up right? I do so hate those stories where the main characters are going at it in the second or third chapter. No, this is NOT a LEMON! I do NOT encourage ****Pedophilia****! This is their second meeting, and a brief but interesting conversation between T&I. Please pay attention to the dates listed; there are wide spaced time jumps ahead.**

**Age Bracket:**

**Toga: Appears to be 25 years old, but is more like three hundred something.**

**Kentaro & Emi: Look twenty-ish, but are around two hundred twenty-ish.**

**Izayoi: 17 years old**

**Sesshoumaru: 12 years and half years old.**

**Manami: 12 years old.**

**Phong Li: 21 years old.**

**April 3****rd**** 1978 Boston Massachusetts: **

Years had gone by, and Izayoi now age seventeen, was tri-state champion, and a week away from graduating the Elizabethan institute, and hopefully on the way towards college, that is if her ever non-present father had other plans for her, like marrying her off to that horrible Chinese brat Phong Li, who she met the last summer when her father flew in from China on a small "business trip" with a petite and scantily clad woman on his arm. They stayed at the estate, and he had John fetch her from the institute, so they could spend some "quality time" – yeah right!

His looks weren't the problem, no not at all, he stood a good fourteen inches taller than her, and his midnight black hair, and muscular tanned skin had her shying away when he looked at her, it was his eyes, yes his eyes were the problem. They didn't reflect sincerity, or respect for her, they were cold, and calculating, evil, and that had her doubting him from the start.

Half an hour later when dinner was served at the estate, she found out that Phong was the accompanying ladies' son. And that he didn't come to America just for fun, rather her father brought him over to plan their arranged wedding, because the unity of the Li and Tokugawa family would bring great riches to both families. Poor Izayoi's heart missed a beat, _not even graduated, not even eighteen and he was planning a marriage, to a foolish brat that was pure evil, you could see it in his eyes´, _she was devastated, her hopes, her dream to become an artist shattered into a billion pieces by the sledgehammer weight known as Han Tokugawa, her dreaded father.

No, this was not what she wanted, she would have preferred him to stay as far away as he could, she rather not have heard from him in five years more, so she could do as she pleased and go to an art academy or a college with a vast arts culture department. But here she was all dressed up, sharing a banquet at the Tokugawa estate with the hell spawn sitting in front of her.

"Izayoi dear, is there something wrong?"

She continued to stare at Phong, and she saw his eyes hid an amused smirk, _so she didn't know she was being traded off eh? ´_

"Izayoi, I said is there anything wrong dear?"

Izayoi blinked and shook her head, concentrating on the Tempura still lying on her plate, but not really seeing it.

"There is nothing wrong father, nothing at all…"

"Then you did hear me when I said that I have started planning an arranged marriage with the young man sitting in front of you to strengthen a merge with the **Li Textile Corporation** then?"

"Yeh…Yes father I heard…"

"O.K. then, so lets continue enjoying dinner, then we have my chef's special dessert served eh?!"

The guests nodded and continued their dinner as did Han, but Izayoi disregarded their incessant chitchat, and choose to be excused, feigning fatigue.

"Honorable father, may this humble daughter please be excused?"

"Izayoi, please don't be rude, you know our guests only speak Chinese, even if you are asking to be excused do it in Chinese, I know you are fluent, that's why I pay for your tutors! Excuse yourself this instant!"

"Nay chichi-ue, I am Japanese, just like you, this is my mother tongue and I shall speak it when addressing you in front of strangers, one which is the first time I meet and you want me to marry because it will be trivial for your merger? I don't think so, I am not marrying him, not today or ever father, that is my decision, please excuse me…"

"Izayoi, if you stand up from this table before excusing yourself properly with our guests you will have hell to pay for."

Izayoi threw the napkin on the barely touched dinner, and scooted out of her chair.

"Izayoi I am warning you!"

Izayoi paused her angry stride out of the room to look at her father over her shoulder, "See father that is the beauty of this country, women like myself have rights, and freedom of speech, I speak in the language I want when I want to, please excuse me, I believe I am beginning to feel the onset of a headache."

With that said Izayoi vacated the dinning room and speed up the stairs, locking the door to her room and threw herself atop her four post bed, weeping freely.

"Please forgive her Mrs. Li she has become more Americanized than I thought. But no worries I still know how to bend her to my will and advantage. She will make a great wife for your son Phong, isn't that right boy?"

"She is prettier than you described Mr. Tokugawa, she will make a great wife and will bare me many sons…" The teen said just barely trying to hide a smirk from both adults at the table.

-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

**May 10****th**** 1978, Taisho Estate, Boston Massachusetts:**

"Come on Kentaro! Toga! It's not everyday your kids graduate from school!"

"Calm down Emi! The graduation is not until noon, and it's barely nine in the morning woman!"

"Taro if you ask me to calm down one more time you are tying your own tie today!"

"O.K.! geesh! So what is the plan, we watch them graduate middle school and visit the school they are recommended to right away right? Then brunch at that new Italian place, what is it called again?"

"The Vineyard on 31st St."

"And you made the reservation?"

"Do you think me stupid to not make a reservation beforehand?"

"No"

"O.K. then you answered your own question."

"Ha! Look I tied my own tie!"

"Is that so? Then why is it own backwards?"

"Well, shoot at least I got the knot right, right?"

"Not even, accept it puppy you need me!"

"Why do you think I mated you? For your stunning personality and good looks?"

"You are ruining the mood Taro…"

Taro laughed and pulled Emi in for a bear hug and pecked her on the cheek, while she finished straightening his tie and smoothing his blazer out. They both looked each other over and nodded, and then they walked out and down the steps into a waiting limousine where Toga had been for a good ten minutes while they bickered.

The graduation went well; Both Sesshoumaru and Manami received their diploma from the Dean at Jennings Academy for Girls and Boys. Then they were off to Prince Academy for the welcome speech and enrolled Sesshoumaru right away. Then they parted towards the Elizabethan Institute, were Manami had been recommended to by the Jennings Dean himself. But they had to sit and wait in the back since the graduation for twelfth grade was currently being held, then the welcome speech by the headmistress to the new students.

Toga found the entire wait boring, he decided to count the number of graduating young women, all between the ages of seventeen and eighteen. All graduating and off to a fresh start at college, towards reality, he smirked to himself, humanity seemed such child's play, it went by in the blink of an eye, grow up, educate yourself, meet a spouse, reproduce, grow old and die, and all done in less than one hundred years. Toga sighed, _one hundred years, one lifetime, one legacy, that time seems like nothing to me. To any youkai…´_

Just then a name was called from the multitude of girls to receive her diploma, **Tokugawa, Izayoi.**

It made Toga blink and sit up straighter in his metal chair, his golden eyes hungrily searched the standing girls for the face tied to that name, that name sounded familiar, he could bet he had heard it before, _**Tokugawa, Izayoi.**_

The girl walked proudly up to the podium and received her rolled up diploma from the headmistress, cameras went off, people cheered, and then she looked out toward the crowd and smiled.

_Kami-sama those eyes! ´_

His heart fluttered, his thoughts gone, the only thing that existed that precise moment was her eyes, her smile, and the memory on the cruise toward Boston.

_It's her, the girl from the ship, the one with the beautiful, innocent eyes´_

She bowed and smiled some more, even waved when somebody behind the photographers called her name, then as the rest of the already graduated, walked off the stage and out of the gymnasium. She was leaving; he had to talk to her again, before another seven years went by. Toga was practically squirming in his seat. Taro reached over and touched Toga's arm.

"Oi! Toga you O.K. man?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah, just a bit hot, this gym is stuffy, I think I will go outside and grab some fresh air eh?"

"Sure, this thing looks like it's going for the long run, no sweat man I'll send Sesshou out for you when it starts, go ahead, Emi is outside also, I think she went to by some pops and cotton candy she saw earlier."

Toga nodded and made silent ways towards the nearest exit, once outside he started looking for her frantically_. Where is she? Could she have already left? Maybe somebody was waiting for her outside and already left with her, such a shame´ _And just then he heard a flock of girls cheer and a camera flash.

"Oh Iza-san just one more, please? I want to take one to mama in Japan!"

"Oh, alright, but just one, I want to go buy myself some candy apples and popcorn Mariko!"

"YAY, O.K. stand right there, and look over here, pose!"

"Thank you Iza-san, you have been a great friend to me, remember to write, O.k.?"

"Sure Mariko, you too, write back to me friend!"

Izayoi hugged her, and waved when she signaled peace from the window of the limo, her father would take her away in. She jammed the diploma into her pocket and kicked a pebble out of the way while she walked towards the vending stand. Toga watched her order and shed her toga in the process, he smirked_, such a feisty little girl´_

He followed her all the way towards the barn on the other end of the property. Where the stables were located, she went inside and hung the toga she previously shed on a peg and grabbed a short bit harness and saddle. Then he realized the clothes she wore were ridding linens and leather boots used in equine sports by riders. She carried the saddle and harness without difficulty down the long hallway in the center of the barn. She stopped in front of the stall labeled **"Aori"** then she ate her popcorn as she started speaking to the horse inside, who was currently scenting her all over she laughed and offered the candy apple she had previously purchased to the stallion, which chomped it up and nickered afterwards. He then watched her lead the horse out of the stall and placed the harness around its oval head, tying the reins to the hook on the wall, she brushed him down and threw a fleece blanket then the saddle over his back, tying the buckle secure she then turned around and walked straight up to where Toga was hiding.

"Hey mister! Don't try to hide, I know you have been there the whole time, and let me tell you it irks me to no relief to have somebody watching me for no apparent reason!"

Toga walked out from behind a wooden pillar just inside the barn door. He greeted her offering his hand to shake.

"I'm terribly sorry to intrude Ms. Tokugawa, I am Toga Inu no Taisho, a pleasure to meet you…"

Izayoi examined his extended hand, large, calloused, and clawed. She narrowed her violet eyes and looked him straight in the face, tanned skin, silver hair pulled back in a topknot, broad shoulders, tapered arms, lean muscular built, and if she guessed right he was in his mid twenties, _no scratch that he is a youkai so he could be centuries old and look twenty-ish to me.´_

She looked him straight in the eye to judge his age right, and suddenly her violet eyes clashed with what she could only remember as golden-honey, the Kamis blessed her, she got to see him again.

She smiled for the first time in his immediate presence, and switched the brush to her right hand wiping her left on her trousers and shook his outstretched hand. She blinked at his intense stare and blushed looking away, then back again,

"Say Mr. Taisho, what is a business man such as yourself doing in a stable at a Young Ladies Institute such as this, might I assume you are parent to one of the new students?"

"Hmm, well not exactly parent, but more as godfather to a new student, a young lady such as yourself that is to join your school today,"

"Then if the ceremony is about to start what are you doing all the way over here?"

"Well I saw you and decided it would be nice to say hello, and just as well maybe ask how you were doing?"

"You say that as if I previously met you?"

"Don't you remember the time on the cruise towards Boston Pier; you pushed me into the pool, eh?"

"Ah, right, I had forgotten, my memory is not as sharp as yours, see?"

"Well that would be very bad, since you are a student, currently about to begin college life maybe? What are you going to be able to do with a bad memory, how do you go about studying for tests on that bad memory of yours?"

"I've graduated in cultural & plastic arts you see, so I don't need such a sharp mind for that kind of studies, if I would go on to college, but I am not going to college…"

"See that is such a shame, I thought such a pretty girl as you would be glad to go study something like art or literature, or drama? Is it financial aid you are troubled with? Maybe I could see to that…"

"There is no need for that Mr. Taisho, it's just that my father decided to use me as guarantee for a merger to a Chinese company, so my dreams of going to college are hell shot…now if you excuse me I have a horse to warm up,"

"An arranged marriage in the twentieth century? That's too bad; did you tell him you didn't have to? This is America you know?"

"Well yes I did but he still is out and about planning the forsaken thing, like I care, I bet I'll be long gone before it happens, see who he uses as insurance to marry off then…"

"Long gone Ms. Tokugawa? Are you planning on leaving America? By any chance?"

"Not America just this place! Can you believe my father bought this school so they would accept me to study English? That man is hell-bent on making my life miserable. I'll be eighteen soon just before I have to leave this school for good, so then I will have dibs on my college fund I put away years back with the money he used to send me for daily needs, I plan on using that to disappear."

"Quiet an intricate plan I believe, I do hope you run away close to were I live, I would like to see you again."

"Why Mr. Taisho are you coming on to me?"

"Well that all depends, do you want me to sweet talk you?"

_I can't believe it, he actually is sweet talking me, me, seventeen year old Izayoi Tokugawa, but into what? We are ages apart this can't be…´_

_I can't believe I am sweet talking a human little girl, but into what? I am centuries older than her! But those eyes, Kami those eyes, I am done for! ´_

"By no way am I coming on to you little girl, I just find myself **fond** of you, and I am offering my help in getting away from your father,"

"Why didn't you say so in the first place? You had me thinking how to knock you unconscious before you tried anything funny." She said waving a yellowish-glowing brush full of purifying energy in his face.

"Believe me little girl, if I was here to try anything funny you wouldn't have time to knock me upside the head" He said tapping a glowing blue claw on top of the brush.

Toga smirked as Izayoi gaped at him, the brush falling out of her hand to clatter on the floor. He kneeled to pick up the brush, not breaking eye contact with her the whole time, he handed her the brush and gestured his hand over to where the stallion paced incessantly.

"So this is your mount I presume? How old is he?"

"He is just a breeding stallion now that he is seven years old, a good mount, he led me to be tri-state champion for seven years straight, and he is father to three promising foals already."

"I am glad you are immersed in such a good business, breeding can only be done by very wise and morose people,"

"I do not consider my horse as a machine, nor his breeding a business, he is my companion and friend, if you are here to belittle me and my horse I suggest you leave."

"Have it your way, you already know where to find my anyway, you know that part of the woods that feels strange when you ride by it? Well I'll be on my way, take care Ms. Tokugawa, don't let your father trade you off, nice meeting you again…"

Toga extended his hand towards Izayoi again; she shook it and waved at him as he looked back before disappearing down the steps outside the barn towards the courtyard. She went back to brushing Aori down.

_What did he mean by, "you already know where to find me?"´_

_She still has the scar on her palm, it turned into a crescent, I wonder what that means? I better ask Ren when we get back, the old woman might know something about this matter…and where did she get that miko energy from?´_

_-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-_

The welcome speech was hosted, and Manami enrolled, she had been assigned to no other than Izayoi as her big sister, and host while she found her way around campus her first week. They had many things in common and hit their friendship off almost instantly when Manami found out that Izayoi was into riding and such sort. The two weeks grace period graduated students were given to show their "little sisters" around campus and get their paperwork in order had expired and sadly Izayoi had to leave the room she had been assigned to the day she was left here. But before she finished packing the last trinkets she had collected over the years into boxes she found a picture of Kimmie and Nana on her dresser, tears pooled behind her closed eyelids as she held the frame close to her heart, she had written numerous times over the years, but every letter that came back only bought sadness and longing to her frail heart, she wanted to go back to Japan, to visit what she called family, but there was no way that could be done without her father finding out. So she just had a few letters Kimmie could sneak between silk scarves and sweaters Nana would knit for her. Izayoi had bought them both memories from her pottery class, a small oval shaped vase for Nana, and a decorated porcelain jewelry box for Kimmie. She reached for her stationary pad and pen, to string together a few words for her makeshift aunt and sister:

_May 31__st__ 1978,_

_Dear Kimmie, _

_It has been a long time since we wrote to each other, since we found out my father read our letters, do not fret dear sister, all is well, I have graduated school here in Boston, the Elizabethan Institute has been house for all of my sorrows and dreams for the past seven years, and I must admit that in the beginning each day went by like a burden to me, but now I am very sad, and I will miss this place from the bottom of my heart. Many memories I have been able to keep, one of them "Aori" my horse. I will keep him with me where ever it is I will go now, father just informed me of his planes to marry me to Phong Li, an heir to a Chinese textile company as insurance for a merger between his company and ours. Yes I know, I am also sad, my heart flutters for freedom sister, it is so cruel the way my father acts, he tells me all I have to do is graduate school and then I can do whatever it is I want with my life, and now he plans to marry me, its like dangling scraps of food in front of a starving child; so unnecessary but it is so, dear sister, please be safe, send my love to Nana, tell her I always have her present in my mind and heart._

_Love Iza_

Izayoi folded the letter securely into the velvet enclosure at the bottom of the porcelain box, and tapped the larger box containing both gifts closed, so she would later ask John to drop it off at the post office. He had become her accomplice over the years; he would pick her up at the institute on summer and Christmas holidays, using the excuse her father had sent for her so she could spend that time at her mother's part of the mansion. He would take her shopping in the commercial district and sneak romance novels in with her personal necessities every week, so he also was the one who posted the short messages and letters between Kimmie and Izayoi. He was one of the true friends Izayoi had made over the years, and she would miss him dearly.

The men she had John hire to help her move her stuff out of the institute arrived, awaking her from her trance, jump-starting her into action, she gave them instructions to follow and then raced down the steps and outside into the crisp October air, jogging past the newcomers sitting on the benches enjoying the light snowfall, arriving at the barn doors she hunched down to catch her breath, today she would take Aori to the mansion forever, well until she decided to part her ways with her father, that is.

The transportation truck had arrived right on time, John never broke a promise, she helped the stable hands steady him onto the ramp and double checked his harness and belts, so everything would be in order for the trip towards the mansion. The driver had her hurry up so she smiled and patted Aori on the neck, sharing a brief happy moment with her best friend in all the time she spent at the school.

-&-&-&-&-&-

Toga didn't have time to sit down and discuss the issue with the girls' scar right away with Ren, due to the fact that he had been called to an urgent business meeting in Abu Dhabi the next day, he packed and speed off for the first flight out of Boston that same day. The brief business meeting turned into a full fledged business proposal with the British people and he had to extend his stay to a few months.

The holiday season came around again and he arrived back in Boston the second day of December, baring gifts for all in the house. He pulled Ren aside and got right down to his question before anything else came up, that would make him postpone knowing what it meant.

"Ren-sama, may I please have a word with you?"

"Why of course dear, after all these years, you should call me mama, eh?"

Toga scratched his neck and smiled, "Yes Mama Ren, well she I have this question that has been bugging me…"

"Well son spit it out lets hear it?"

"What would be the consequences or reasons of a scar in the shape of a crescent moon appearing on somebody's hand after they got accidentally cut by a youkai's claws?"

Ren sat back in the chair and regarded Toga with old knowing eyes, the corner of her mouth twitched and she reached for his left hand, she spread her small knotty aged hands over his large worn palm, rubbing the fleshy part underneath the thumb, and to his surprise moments later a small glow started coming from where she had been rubbing, shocked he looked at her, searching for answers to his doubts,

"That my boy is your answer,"

Toga looked at his glowing palm, at his other hand, then at her, as if she held the secret to the universe in her worn eyes.

"What does this all mean Mama Ren, please tell me?"

"This means your demon has decided on a mate my dear, the woman that bears the crescent scar is your intended mate…"

"What? What did you just say Ren?!"

"The woman that bears the scar is your intended mate, my boy, go out and find her, she is in danger…"

"Oh? And how do you know that?"

"Your palm is glowing red, which means great danger, I suggest you get to it quickly, I suspected something like this had happened…"

Without another word Toga stood up and converted to his energy form, shooting out the open window into the crisp night sky, on his way to save Izayoi from whatever danger she must be facing at the time…

"Ms. Izayoi my mate? Little seventeen year old Izayoi Tokugawa? What in the world was I thinking?! We are centuries apart, I even think there is a human law that prohibits minors joining with adults here, what have I gotten into now?"

_I'll tell you what you still haven't gotten into you fool! ´_

"Great now I'm hearing voices in my head…"

_Yeah you should listen to me; I am your demonic conscience after all…´_

"I really have to have a word with you then, why out of all the youkai community did you have to choose a human, and a minor might I remark?"

_Because she was born to spend her life with you, with us´_

"Oh and how did you know she was born to be with me?"

_You can see it in her eyes, she already feels something for you, can't you tell?´_

"Hmm, those eyes, she feels so pure, so innocent to the dangers in the world…"

_And, that is why I had you place a crescent scar on her hand, it means protection for anything and everything that could mean her harm, she my boy is yours already, even if she doesn't know it yet…´_

"I feel this urgent need to have her near me and protect her, is this what it means to feel in love with somebody?"

_I believe you are about to find out Toga…´_

He gasped as his energy form hovered over a burning barn just outside the Tokugawa Estate, place where he felt the pull of Izayoi's aura. He transformed into his humanoid form, and ran towards the uncontrollable fire, he saw somebody exit the barn by the side door and the barn exploded moments later. He felt her more than heard her scream as smoke and ashes rained from the skies.

He ran into the burning barn searching stable after stable for her, horses and mares ran out of the burning building through the doors Toga opened, he heard knocking coming from the last stall on the right, right before Aori rose pawing the air madly and galloped out of the stable leaving his unconscious owner thrown haphazardly on the burning hay, her pale face and arms covered in ash, bruises and burns. Toga ran towards her gathering her up in his arms, he mounted Aori and sped off towards his own mansion, praying to whatever celestial entity that was listening that he could reach help for her in time, Izayoi was barely breathing…


	22. Running Scared

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

_**A/N:**__ Yes I the stunning__**Pinkit**__ am back from my extended hiatus and already have ideas floating in my head on how to get these two together in the cutest and rightist way possible…without having to reduce myself to use magical unicorns, and rainbows. Well enough with my ranting I give you chapter 22 of __**"A Mapped Life: Running Scared…" **__**NO THIS IS NOT A LEMON! I DO NOT ENCOURAGE PEDOPHILIA!**_

_**Flashback:**__ Izayoi's arrival at the Tokugawa Estate after she left the school. Two weeks before her arranged marriage with Phong Li)._

Han Tokugawa smashed his fist through the barn door, "What the hell is the meaning of this Izayoi?"

"Father it is not what it looks like, I had this barn built when you were not here, after I adopted Aori, and needed a place to keep him when we came home on summer vacations."

"And how in the world did you hire people to do this if you are a minor?!"

"I had help from somebody father,"

"Who Izayoi! Who?!"

"I won't tell you!"

"Then I will burn the damn thing to the ground and dance in its ashes until you tell me!"

"No father! Don't do it!"

"You can't do anything to stop me little girl!"

He reached for the kerosene lamp that hung from one of the wooden pillars, and she jumped on his back pulling on his shirt flaps and neckline. He swung around trying to knock her off, she expertly smashed her knees into his midsection under his ribs to keep balance, and he cried out in pain wind-milling is arms madly and threw all his weight into one of the closest pillars falling backwards so she would bear the brunt of the damage, instantly cracking three of her ribs and fracturing a fourth, she held her side as she cried out in pain, falling flat on her back hitting her head on the dirt floor, as Han laughed at her. He grabbed the fallen lamp and sent it flying into the hay pile, instantly catching fire. He stood over his fallen daughter, grabbing her by the braid her hair was tied in, dragging her all the way inside Aori's stall.

"If you won't marry Phong Li, then you are no good to me, you little bitch! All you had to do is say yes, but you won't do it then, huh? Alright, then you will die here with the stupid animal you love so much! Good riddance Izayoi, you were always an unwanted child to me; I have no use for a daughter that won't follow my orders!"

He locked her inside Aori's stall after his last words, and made quick work of leaving the barn unnoticed by somebody else. She tried turning over on her stomach but the pain at her side was too great, Aori started kicking the door, but it wouldn't budge. The closed building soon filled up with black smoke and ash, and she was swallowing large mouthfuls of the foul mixture, the corners of her sight became fuzzy, her throat closed up, she tried coughing up the smoke, but only managed to swallow more, her heartbeat slowed and images of all the important people she loved started appearing before her eyes, _Nana, Kimmie, Mama Madeline, John…´_ after that everything was very fuzzy, she frowned at a white light beamed behind closed eyes, she felt herself being lifted by large, strong arms, then everything went dark…

_**(End Flashback)**_

-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

The stallion uneasily pulled on the bit and reared pawing the air but soon adapted to Toga urging him on further and faster than Izayoi had ever pushed him. Aori was a exposition stallion, not a track horse; but that was the least important fact at the time for Toga, he held in his trembling arms an unconscious, human girl, that he had only seen twice before, and just moments ago he had found out she was his intended, chosen by no other than his demonic conscience that had no spoken up before in his whole three hundred twelve years of age. So many thoughts kept roaming wildly inside his head that he almost lost balance atop the horse when he jumped over a fallen log on the trek towards his side of the woods.

This path was the one he intended Izayoi to find in the proper time, when she would run away from her father, and at the time when he offered his assistance to the young girl, he didn't even know why he had said such a thing, living in the twenty first century, being a three century old youkai, with odd coloring, tended to bring out the more secretive side in people, err youkai, anyway, what had possessed him to give her direct instructions to his estate?

_I did Toga, I did, she looked so lost at the time she was babbling these things to a complete stranger…I just had to make you say it´_

"Oh it's you again, so what will we do now, I don't really know if Ren will be able to save her, does that mean that if she dies I die with her, since she is my intended?"

_Will you at least try to pay attention to her, if you did you would have known she isn't dying just unconscious, and her breathing is uneven due to smoke she must have breathed in…´_

"It's nice to know that this little girl is not going to die anytime soon…" He said as he stole a glimpse down at Izayoi's frail, smudged body as the outline of the east wing of the Taisho Estate crested over the hill.

-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

Kentaro stood outside on the balcony of his east side wing of the estate, place to where Toga asked him to re-locate after that incident seven years prior when he had taken Manami and Sesshoumaru riding for his daughters' birthday. Emi had almost broken every glass, vase and demolished a few walls with their** bickering**. Things had turned so ugly that Ren thought if was definitely over between those two. After the storm cleared, and he had reconciled himself with his wife, repeatedly, Toga saw himself obligated to intrude in their private time and asked them to move to the East wing, that way they would be far enough for the kids, Ren, and himself not to be able to hear them love each other.

Taro was outside pondering on his future, and on Toga. Even though his cousin had Sesshoumaru and a conglomerate of companies he had to administrate, Toga never seemed to feel like he belonged here, come to think of it, the business tycoon never stayed longer than a month at the mansion, he had seen the furtive glances Toga bestowed upon Emi and himself when they hugged and kissed on the balcony in the morning during lunch, or on the terrace during what they liked to call **"family time",** and in some way that made Kentaro feel bad, could his dear cousin ever experience what it felt like to be loved?

These and many other ponderings rolled through his mind as he caught scent of human blood, fear, and Toga on the wind, he straightened himself from the leisurely pose on the veranda, and inhaled again, testing the wind, "that is definitely Toga's scent, but why fear and human blood?"

Taro ran inside calling Emi and Ren desperately while he pulled on a shirt, the colder climate not affecting him in the least in his half naked state, but since a fearful human was in play he rather play it safe and not give them bases to judge him wrong on. Ren appeared with what looked like a medical kit and Emi carried a gurney. They had also caught scent of Toga and his companion, coming closer to the mansion. They all exchanged glances and pulled on cloaks for the wind and heavy snow fall to not shadow their eyesight.

Since Ren was the one who told Toga about the young human being his intended mate, she already knew what the fear stricken; half alive human Toga appeared to be carrying with him atop the beautiful stallion was about. Ren ran straight out into the snow covered gardens that linked the estate with the woods and a rich businessman's house on the other side, jumping up into the treetops for a better view, Emi and Taro followed suit.

The animal Toga rode puffed hot air into the crisp night sky, prancing uneasily when he heard wolves howl in the distance. Toga made eye contact with the first of the wolves, shifting Izayoi's motionless body for mobility, he reached for his sword, but cursed remembering he left the mansion without it, he heard rustling atop the treetops, a bit too far off in the distance, so he realized help was a good while away. Toga pulled on the reins trying without success to calm the steed, but Aori kept pulling on the bit and half-rearing to no avail, the wolves moved slowly but surely, making a full circle around the horse, waiting for the right time to pounce on their prey.

Toga used his enhanced youkai senses to calculate how many he would have to deal with, mentally counting, "ten, no twenty in total, twenty wolves, against one unconscious human, one jumpy horse, and me, of course", if he would have encountered the wolves on his own they would be no hassle to dispose of, but he had to seek care for Izayoi soon or she would not live to see sunrise. He decided to drop the reins in favor or maneuvering Izayoi's body in a way in which he could easily jump up into the treetops and deposit her there, but the horse had other intentions, he reared nickering all the way, pawing all the way, the wolves chose that moment to strike, Aori moved out of their reach and hammer-kicked hard and fast, by the time it was over more than half the wolves were lying dead or dying from kicks to head and vital organs inflicted by Aori's powerful legs.

Toga was in shock the horse turned out to be a hero, he patted him caringly on the neck, soon after help in form of Taro, Emi and Ren arrived. Taro looked around the impromptu battlefield, then at Toga, Toga in turn signaled toward the horse Emi was looking over, and they both laughed. Ren had him lay the girl down on the gurney, checking her vital signs; the old woman frowned clucking her tongue she turned around addressing Toga, Taro and Emi; "we need to get her inside fast, she's possibly got some broken ribs, onset of hypothermia, and the poor dear has inhaled her share of ash and smoke, Emi, go ahead and prepare a hot tub halfway full, antiseptic, bandages, and get my herb kit, I believe we will be spending the night awake my dear…"

"You two boys make yourselves useful, That horse has open gashes on his front legs, and needs to be thoroughly washed of blood and sweat, those wolves didn't hunt you down to feed, the marks behind the ruff of their ears signals use of dark magic, they were invoked, somebody is hunting the girl down, the rest went back probably for help, I don't want anything that could lead them to the estate, the talismans I have set up don't protect against this type of magic…"

"How come they don't protect against this magic mama Ren?"

"They don't protect against this magic because it has been a century since I have seen it used, I thought the **Ookami Shadow Art scrolls** and their users had been destroyed, apparently I was mistaken,"

"Oi! Let's do this, she is turning blue in the lips, I am going to get this girl inside where Emi is now, so Toga can take that horse to the stable hands so they can bath him and bandage his wounds, mama Ren I'll call Myouga so he can help you do the stuff with the talismans, lets go!"

"Be careful with her Taro, she is very special, even if she is human,"

"Chill Toga, I can tell you like her, she is kind of cute for a ningen…" he said grinning eerily.

With that said everybody bolted into action, Taro running steadily towards the Estate, Toga leading Aori towards the stable, and Ren walked steadily towards the tree line to start replacing the talismans.

-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

An hour turned into days, since Toga had gone out to rescue Izayoi, brought her back to the mansion to have Ren and Emi take care of her, exactly a week after she was brought to the Taisho Estate Izayoi awoke from a restless sleep drenched in sweat, with a shrill blood-curling screaming fit. Toga who had taken residence outside her door ran inside ready to save her from which ever danger, stepping inside the room he found her huddled in the corner of the room in the dark blue pajama Ren had donned her with, her pitch black hair a heavy curtain covering her face and shoulders, her pale skin rosy from the heat in the room.

Her face was stark white compared to her arms and legs, Toga frowned at how fragile she looked, hiding her face in her arms atop her propped up knees, "You know Ms. Tokugawa, you look a lot nicer if the hair and hands don't cover your face…"

Izayoi blinked, startled from her trance, sniffling and wiping the scorching tears from her eyes she frowned trying to make out that voice, _that voice, I've heard it before…´_

"Aren't you going to say anything smart Ms. Tokugawa? You always have when I say something like that, is something wrong?"

Izayoi kept her head bowed gripping her knees, she nodded.

"Would you like to tell me about it? Would you like to tell me why I rescued you from a burning barn, full of smoke, ashes and dead animals?"

_Dead animals? Is Aori dead?´_

Her head snapped up so fast that her shoulder muscles protested dearly, her dark violet eyes fear stricken.

"I want to know if you earned those broken ribs from falling off your horse or from something else. How did the barn catch fire?"

Her mouth opened and closed various times, resembling a fish out of water, as a single tear escaped her sad, dull eyes.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk about it right now, you are safe here, remember I told you to look for me when you were ready to run away?"

She nodded.

"Well let's just make like you looked for me on your own, and I will help you for as long as you need me, I want you to feel comfortable, the doors to my house will always be open for you Ms. Tokugawa,"

She blinked, as the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"Is there anything you need before I leave?"

She nodded.

"And what would that be?"

"Could I hug you please?"

He smiled opening his broad arms to her, basking in her need to feel safe, in no other than his arms. Izayoi burrowed into his chest, clutching the cashmere fabric of his sweater, as he smoothed the bangs out of her eyes, and rubbed her back reassuringly.

"Mr. Taisho, can I ask something of you?"

"Anything you want Ms. Tokugawa…"

"Can we stay like this forever?"

He smirked, and hugged her closer, "Sure princess, your wish is my command."

The sun began to set in the horizon, and Izayoi drooped in his arms, so he insisted that she sleep some, and she insisted that he stay to stand watch over her, incase she had another bad dream.

I respect constructive critisism :-)


	23. Ookami Shadow Art and Midoriko Ikkeda

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N:** So it's been awhile, I know, I will not give you an excuse; I will just say a lot has happened since the last chapter in real life. I know there is a story time breach in there somewhere, I just noticed it today that I finished writing this chapter and I was going back checking on the dates. I will leave it like that, and play it by ear, because I like where the story is going now…It would be nice to hear from the people who read my story.

**P.S.:** If you find some names in here and you want to know their meaning, you may go to the end of the chapter, and find their meaning.

**(Back at the Tokugawa Estate, the night Han burned the barn down)**

Su Lynn Li, mother to Phong Li and lady of the season to Han Tokugawa was also a wolf in sheep's clothing; she was bordering her fourth century and was queen to the northeast wolf demon tribe. Her son Phong was prince and his father dead since his last fight with the previous Tai Youkai, reason why the lady hates dogs so much.

Each and every demon that was capable of coherent thought knew that Japan was currently under scandal and confusion every youkai, even the most primitive, knew the Great Dog General had passed away. And since vengeance is best served cold, Su Lynn wanted to strike him where it would hurt the most, making her son proclaim himself Tai Youkai after he was mated and his first child was born; and since she had no knowledge of the filthy dog's son proclaiming himself as the Tai Youkai, things were still out in the open for free taking of course.

The only problem was finding a suitable mate for her son, either they were to tame, to meek, to clever, or to smart for his taste, she also needed to be pure of breed either human or demon, but not in-between, also pure of body and soul, which was also hard to find, either the demoness had no heart, or was not a virgin, or the human was a virgin but had a corrupted mind. Her problem was soon solved; when she met a rich and handsome human in Okinawa one day, he was easy to sweeten up the lad, and soon signed his daughter off to her for a large sum of money.

He was easily convinced and even invited them to physically remove her from his hands, the plan was to arrive at his mansion in the United States, have Phong take her willingly or not, and travel back to Japan to await the birth of the child. Things didn't quite go as planned, first the human man never mentioned she was a miko, and a very powerful one, although her power was untamed, making her extremely dangerous for Phong. Her spiritual aura was so tangible to them it invaded their senses and left them weak after the short dinner, when they were introduced, and became even worst when she became mad at her father once he announced he had given her hand in marriage, it physically wrapped itself around him in such a matter that if he were demon he would have become a pile of ash right at that moment.

The man was so much different than his daughter, a vile and despicable being, leaving only the deceased mother to be the origin of the unharnessed holy powers, if she was listening correctly while the man tried his luck as to courting her, the mothers' family was that of the noble birth – Ikkeda. People who almost completely destroyed her Shadow Art tribe in the warring States Era, Midoriko being the head Priestess, died while trying to purify herself before being swallowed whole by a crossbreed dragon-wolf, legend has it that her heart was expelled from her body before the animal finished swallowing her, taking it's soul along with hers and condemning them into eternal peril inside a jeweled pearl. Its whereabouts still pass by unknown to her people, but the day will come when it resurfaces in time and her kind will again rule Japan and cause wars and death, oh yes, what great times were those, even though she only knows of them by the bedtime stories her father used to tell her.

Su Lynn's meditations were interrupted when she smelled smoke coming from a short distance away to the mansion. If her nose didn't point her in the wrong direction she was pretty sure the human had single handedly managed to burn down the stupid little animal hut his daughter decided to have constructed in his absence, also managing to injure her in the process. That girl decided to relocate to the barn after her father informed her of the engagement, if you like to call it that for decorum's sake. Since mating for wolf demons was fast and gory, especially if the female was virgin, there was no foreplay involved, just sex and submitting by force of will. The only trophy the female bore was a scare produced by the sharp and deadly canines of the male, on the nape of the neck, that later on if there was understanding between them, would turn into something of the fashion humans liked to decorate their body with, tribal tattoos they called them.

Su Lynn felt him before he landed in a crouch outside of the balcony her suite extended into. Her son had removed his concealment spell and was bordering on angry, the little twerp had decided he loved the snotty brat, and acted on honor in her presence, shadowing her movements about the estate, while she rode that horse of hers.

"Mother, the man has committed his final act of betrayal, he will die today!"

"You shut up, and stay where you are, I will take care of this in my own way."

"But she is locked inside the barn, dying, it is the chance we have been waiting for, and I must claim her as mine now…"

"She is no longer inside the barn my son, the horse managed to remove her from the burning shack somehow."

"Then I will hunt the animal down, and bring her back,"

"Again I command you! Stay where you are!"

"But why, it is just a horse, nobody will suspect if it looks like wolves ate it in this wild forest, there are all types of predators, the carcass will be unrecognizable by the time other humans find it."

"Do as I say, and shut your snout whelp, what I tell you is for your own good, remember humans have laws now, if you are not careful she can make it look like you hunted her down burnt her farm and raped her, I will not allow our family name to blemished by a mere mortal in the eyes of humanity, we have strived for excellence to long to have it end this way."

"Very well, then tell me what will you do?"

Su Lynn removed her red jade concealment ring, and pulled a scroll from atop a bureau that was shipped along with her belongings. An enchantment was whispered from her crimson lips as she traced her claws down the middle of the papyrus, invoking clouds of dark smoke, that formed shapes of snarling wolves, she silently ordered them to follow the girl and the horse and to bring them back alive. The clouds took form of a pack of forty and ran off into the wilderness. Moments later a warning howl was heard, the girl had been found, but by her surprise was not alone, she concentrated on transporting her minds-eye to where the pack was, momentarily joining her mind with the smoke body of one of the wolves to be able to see, the wolves' body was kicked into a tree and she wavered where she stood, that kick caught her completely off guard.

Phong caught her before she feel backwards off the balcony, there was a knock at the door, which signaled the man was here.

"Su Lynn? Su Lynn are you ok? I know you don't like smoke, come out lets go somewhere, I tried saving her I really did, but I got there too late and Izayoi is dead, she was burned dead, what a shame…we will have to celebrate a funeral instead of a wedding."

Su Lynn growled, after so much planning and coping with the stupid humans manners, he decides to kill her plan.

"That is not true, you killed her, you locked her inside that shack and killed her, you burned her alive!"

"Su what are you saying baby? I did no such thing, open the door least we talk this over, eh?"

"We have nothing to talk about Tokugawa, the authorities will be all over this soon, and I do not want my family name involved, we leave first thing in the morning."

Phong shook his head furiously, "but mother, what about Izayoi?!"

Su Lynn growled at her son, "She is no good anymore, she is dead! You can't marry a corpse!"

Han moaned from heartbreak behind the door, "Then you used me? You used me in the vilest ways, you hit on me to get to my daughter, and you are just after my fortune! You're such a lousy slut!"

"I didn't hear you complaining last night, and for once Han Tokugawa, the joke is on you."

Han pounded both of his closed fists on the door, unchaining his fury, he was Han Tokugawa, the rich millionaire, he earned his status, he had to marry that meek, fragile flower of his dead wife, she was no good lay at all, it was a miracle that she had Izayoi before she died. The truth was that the poison that he was slowly administering through her morning tea should have killed her and the unborn child long before, leaving him as sole owner of the fortune she owned, and the estate in Japan. He had the shrine demolished a month after she died. She spent way too much time in there everyday, the only thing he couldn't stop from happening was when monks from neighboring shrines came uninvited and took all of the historical scrolls and wall hangings, all the deity images, and dokkus the previous monks left behind. Everything was taken to some other shrine Han never knew of and there was no amount of money that could buy them.

He sunk down to the floor and rapped on the door with his head a few times, now everything ha turned into a mess, a gory burnt mess. He could hear the sirens approaching the mansion at a fast rate. The sun was peaking out over the mountains, he heard rustling behind the door and the car start in the driveway, they were taking his car, good, he could charge them with assault, battering, and murder, along with stealing his Lincoln, yes that sounded like a good idea, he would blame them for everything and again be free from paying his crimes.

They were long gone before the authorities arrived at the mansion, Phong just drove while his mother looked out the window, extending her youki searching for another demonic aura in the premises of the mansion, she could have sworn she felt one when she transported to where the pack wolves were killed. It was a gory sight, their snouts had been cracked open, and inner things sprayed about the snowed down forest floor, an ugly contrast dark red blood and white snow. Phong had not liked the way they died one bit. He mentioned it was unnatural for a horse that was just used for hurdling championships to know how to defend itself and it's rider, as if he were a warrior horse. Su Lynn just laughed, Midoriko's infamous warrior horse was long dead, horses did not reincarnate, nor did they?

That day the police and firemen arrived at the crime scene, they had forensics and dogs sniffing everything out, Taro and Emi, stood a good distance away not to be sensed by the canes, they were to observe and report anything that happened at the mansion back at the estate to Toga and mama Ren. An official led Izayoi's father handcuffed outside of the house towards a squad car, he had been charged with premeditated murder on first degree, and was to be shipped off towards Massachusetts state jail that same day. The trial would be held in two months time, which gave the investigators enough time to recollect enough evidence.

As they finished telling Toga and Izayoi the happenings at her mansion, Izayoi sighed, finally her father would bear the brunt of all damage caused. Every time that he managed to commit a crime, he always got somebody else involved and they ended up paying for him. She unconsciously felt for her broken ribs and Toga grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it, shaking his head, telling her not to worry.

(End Flashback)

**December 23****rd**** 1978:**

Three weeks had passed since Toga had rescued the girl and Izayoi was healing at a quick rate, unnaturally quick for some humans, but not for a priestess, even if she didn't know she was one, during the time mama Ren spent rubbing her abdomen with healing roots and pastes she would fill the room with her youki, and Izayoi's aura unconsciously wrapped itself so tightly around herself that mama Ren would have to pull her youki back into herself and wait until her aura calmed down. She had also noticed when they had to strip her bare and bathe her in hot water to save her from hypothermia that she bore the birthmark of a noble family, a red and gold chrysanthemum Ren told Emi to memorize its shape and form, so they could later find out from which family she was a descendant of.

They took advantage of a day that Izayoi feel asleep and Toga had gone out to town to get into the library, into the dark little nook where the long gone Tai Youkai kept his journals and records. They searched high and low and just when they thought they would not find anything on her descendants, there it was, a sole red leather covered book, like the time sorcerers used to write their enchantments in. The book was large; they had to heft it off the shelf between both of them. A large Sanskrit letter I was engraved on the front cover, followed by lower case letters, k-k-e-d-a.

Mama Ren observed the book for any source of protection, and found it as already open the wax seal on the book had been broken a long time ago, so she nodded towards Togas' desk and they put it down on top of it. Mama Ren asked Emi to leave her alone inside the library, since she didn't know if there would be things to be discovered that would be dangerous.

Emi left, and Ren started reading the old passages, the life of Midoriko, and her children, she was the first miko to marry and kept her holy powers intact. Her daughters: Akemi and Etsuko were born twins. Her sons: Masuyo, Kouki, and Kiyoshi, were all born on different years and seasons.

Their father was said to be a noble by the name of the Ikkeda Katsurou, only male descendant left after a great war, in his family. He feel in love with Midoriko the day he saw her out on a gory battlefield, that day she tried healing his father from a life threatening wound, only to lose him to a band of thieves on their way back to his castle.

Katsurou's family did not like his intentions to marry a priestess, they would never be happy and never have children, holy women could not marry and procreate, and it was not their nature. But neither Midoriko nor Katsurou heard what they had to say, love was too powerful of an emotion to deny, and the next summer their daughters were born. Again Katsurou's mother and sisters began trying to split them apart, saying priestesses would only give birth to girls, which they had enough of, Midoriko proved them wrong baring Katsurou three healthy and strong sons three winters straight.

They had a large family going already and Katsurou's mother feel ill with an unknown disease, Midoriko offered her healing abilities, but the illness was too widespread and the Lady died that same night. His sisters also fell ill, and his grief was too big, he had healers come from the neighboring castles and nothing could cure them, soon they also died in their sleep.

After the last of his sisters died, he sold the castle, and used the wealth left behind by his family to enjoy his life with wife and children. They moved to a small uninhabited village in the woods, about three days away from Midoriko's elderly parents. Their children grew tall and strong, Masuyo, her first son, tended to the chores around their small heaven, watering the livestock and tending the fields. Kouki dedicated his time to the arts, painting and sculpting clay, and sold his masterpieces in the large market that was a week's travel away, trading them also for things they needed at home money could not buy.

Kiyoshi, the youngest and smartest handled the trades when travelers would come along knocking on their doors. His mind was fast for mathematics, he kept track of the heads of cattle, horses, and other animals; he counted the pounds of rice that were produced in the fields, and the vegetables and fruits that were collected in the orchard. They had enough at the end of the year for winters to be the best of seasons for them.

Etsuko spent her time with her mother, in the herb gardens, learning the properties of each root, and leaf, she developed a potent paste to cure poisonous bites and scratches. She also followed her mother into the holy arts; mastering the bow and sword. Akemi was a more docile child, quiet and observant she always carried a journal strapped to her back, her imagination was great and entertained her family with stories she would write sitting out under an orchard tree at dinner time. She shared her passion with her second brother Kouki, she would write her stories and he would illustrate for her. Her journals would sell for a generous amount at the marketplace. They went to nobles and Ladies. She played the Koto at celebrations for nobles when she reached maturity.

Youkai had never disappeared during the time Midoriko decided to stay and watch her family grow, they came to close to killing them all once and she instructed her husband and sons to build a large wall made of pine trees, sharpened at the top. She placed a concealment spell on the barrier and it served to protect her family from being found by lower class demons that feed on human flesh. It only allowed her family to pass by unnoticed, if any other youkai or human decided to wander too close they ended up lost and mad, an easy target to kill if they were too much of a threat. They all started to learn a specific weapon when times grew harsh Akemi and Kouki had to forget about leaving their small village to trade their art, also having to learn the ways of a weapon their mother assigned to them. By the time Kiyoshi turned twenty three, they had all mastered the ways of youkai extermination, just in time for when the war broke, they were called upon to defend castles and nobles, collecting large amounts of money in the process, ensuring their future for a long time.

They became famous for their skill and decided to wear the same clothes, a form fitting black colored battle suit, with a mandarin collar that was trimmed representing their colors. Etsuko trimmed in indigo, Akemi in purple, Masuyo in red, Kouki blue, and Kiyoshi orange. Midoriko wore red and green, and Katsurou wore gold trimming. It was a grand sight to see them all dressed in battle gear.

They collected a lot of youkai bones as trophies to forge new weapons. Their last battle together as a family was when Midoriko faced off with the Shadow art users, She had been separated from Katsurou when a crossbred dragon-wolf knocked her on her back, and whipped him in the air, landing on the other side of the battlefield unconscious, but protected by his sword, Midoriko decided to place a protective barrier on all the weapons and ordered them to use them as a shield if they fell injured. They would remain unharmed by human or youkai if their weapon was in their power.

The crossbred dragon-wolf decided that if he swallowed Midoriko he would inherit her power of mass destruction. Her children had the wolves outnumbered and soon killed them all off, wanting to save their mother. Since their father was lying unconscious under a large tree, they all approached the beast chopping at him with Masuyo's club and axe, Kouki's bokken, and Etsuko's sword. Kiyoshi leapt atop a tree and used his scythe to cut off the dragon-arms that held his mother captive.

She feel into a rolling leap, crouched behind a boulder regenerating her strength, the animal stuck fast and deadly moving behind the boulder swallowing her halfway, she motioned for her children to stay away, and whispered an enchantment Etsuko new very well would kill her in the process, minutes later both the crossbred dragon-wolf and their mother were immortalized in stone, and her heart was expelled from her body in form of a jeweled pearl, that landed in Etsuko's open palm. She held it tight in her fist, and threw herself into her brother's waiting arms, crying inconsolably for a week straight.

They had banished the demons carcasses into hell, and tended to their father until he awoke, they informed him of the happenings and he became a grieving shell of a man. Soon he died of heartbreak.

It is said that Masuyo, Kouki, Kiyoshi, Etsuko and Akemi, all married and had children, to carry on their name, their mother a holy woman, and their father a noble, gave them status after the war was over, they continued to live as a family, in the village their mother created for them, their children were all born with a nobility status birthmark a red and gold chrysanthemum on their left shoulder blade, Etsuko's daughter was the first born with it, she described it as the everlasting love their parents shared for each other, their father gold and their mother red, together behind their hearts.

The mark appeared when Masuyo's twin boys were born also, the same size and shape, behind their heart, on their left shoulder blade. Next to be born with the birthmark were Kouki's baby girl and Akemi's twin girls. Soon there were a total of four girls and two boys, representing Midoriko's grandchildren.

After Kiyoshi married and his wife had triplets two boys and a girl born with the birthmark, they decided to live in secrecy giving their children a calm and generous childhood, their death never was registered in the neighboring villages scrolls, but their family can be traced up to the sixth generation born with the birthmark, Japanese American singer Madelyn Ikkeda married to a small businessman Han Tokugawa, it is rumored that she had a daughter that was also born with the mark before she died mysteriously of early labor pains. Her daughter's name and location still go by untraceable…

The last entry was dated **August 10****th**** 1960**, and signed by **A. Ikkeda.**

**The meaning to their names:**

**Etsuko: Joy Child**

**Akemi: bright and beautiful.**

**Masuyo: benefit, world**

**Kouki: Light/happiness, hope, radiance, shine**

**Kiyoshi: Pure**

**Katsurou: Victory Son.**


	24. Masquerade: A Special Girl is Discovered

**I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. Nor do I own Coco Chanel. But I do own my original characters.**

**A/N: It´s been quite a while since I sat down and brainstormed for this fic, I promise I will not leave it unfinished. I just want to say I had a lot of personal issues to resolve, now that they are taken care of I am back to writing. This chapter is one of the three I am brewing up celebrating my birthday.**

**Hugs to Captain Applesauce on ! Thank you for encouraging and standing by me while I doubted the continuity of this monster I have created.**

A couple of months had gone by, and Izayoi´s ribs had mended perfectly, Toga had cancelled all overseas meetings or rescheduled them over the phone. Ren and Emi were amazed at how well the miko and Toga got along when they spent time together, walking around the estate grounds, and visiting the different gardens. They spent long hours in the Study, where Izayoi had asked for an easel, pastel, ink, a complete set of brushes, and a stool to be placed.

He would go over his paperwork, and write letters, and she would work on a large painting that Toga had yet to see. It's not that he didn't try to peak, indeed he did, it's just that Izayoi was being instructed by Ren in the basic steps of channeling spiritual energy. She now knew how to elevate objects and charge them with purifying energy; and she had managed to singe a decent sized hole in one of the shrubs that surrounded the mansion. The gardeners where still trying to make the youki-enhanced shrubbery grow back.

Izayoi had placed a concealment barrier around the easel, making the image pitch black, so nobody would be able to see it before she was ready to reveal it. Everyone in the house was fine with that, they let her have her privacy, even if Toga wanted to keep a watchful eye, she managed to have private long baths thanks to all the spiritual training she was receiving from Ren, they had explored all the grounds, the mountain region, the fields which Aori seemed to love for some obvious reasons, and the maze. That was a hectic day for Ren, Izayoi had not paid that much attention, since she was awe-struck by the beauty of the winding trails and flower arches inside.

The time came for Ren to examine Izayoi's body for bruises or scars, and none were left, after declaring her healed she gave Izayoi and Emi permission to go into the next town to buy some essentials for the girl, since she had been dressing in the maids uniforms, dark blue slacks and white mandarin collar shirts for the whole two months of her recovery.

Emi and Izayoi jumped at the idea, they managed to convince the driver to take them in to town in a more discrete vehicle, since they didn't want any major attention, just wanting to shop. Both girls wore jeans, knee high boots and a white shirt, carrying a fleece parka if they managed to get cold during their shopping expedition. Izayoi had to borrow from Emi, and surprisingly they were both the same size in clothes and shoes.

They ran into some interesting stores, boutiques and specialty shops, Izayoi managed to make a decent dent in one of Toga's checking accounts, idea she was still not completely convinced with, Izayoi had managed to save up a sizable amount of money, but Toga had heard nothing of it when she said she would buy herself some small things she needed, she knew he was carrying a secret agenda regarding that, she just hand not had the time to find out why.

He had insisted on opening a side account for her, rooting out of one of his personal accounts which he had deposited a respectable amount of money into. Izayoi was practically walking around with gold bars in her purse, figuratively speaking, of course.

Emi and Izayoi hit the downtown shopping district with much euphoria, and caged energy. One of Izayoi's favorite stores was right in the center of the corridor, UCB, mainly because they carried a large variety of colors and petite cut clothing. She wore petite mostly because of her minimal waistline, over the years her childish lanky body had developed and toned into a build a gymnast or ballet dancer would be envious of, thanks to the rigorous exercise program that was obligatory at the Institute; everything except her less than average cleavage, Nana had mentioned in one of her letters that her mother had a respectable brassier size also.

After practically cleaning out size six yellow, olive, purple, and indigo, along with a dozen different cuts of jeans and skirts, Izayoi wanted to call it a day, but Emi reminded her of the need for shoes, accessories and intimates; so they proceeded to the RL boutique, going for leather patent pumps, espadrilles, sandals, boots and an odd number of belts and purses. Izayoi was astonished at the carbon copy likes she shared with Emi, after a while they decided to only buy one of the piece of clothing they both liked, since they lived in the same house and were a couple of floors away they could just borrow it for each other.

The sales person at VS had a field day with them both, commission based wage never sounded so good for Kathy B. was what the girl´s nametag read, and so happened that she was the in charge of the store that day. She had to practically close up for the duration of Izayoi´s and Emi´s shopping spree. Kathy even let them try on the bras with out the plastic covers. They managed to ring up a four digit dollar amount in lingerie along with pajamas and a ensemble of robe that barely covered mid thigh and slippers in their favorite color, Emi couldn't wipe the smirk of her face, she was millimeters away from sharing a grin with the Cheshire cat _who ever thought an innocent little school girl would have such exotic taste? Oh Toga you are in for such a surprise…´_

After clothes, shoes and intimates were taken care of and loaded into the vast trunk space provided by the town car, Izayoi asked Emi to accompany her to an art shop for new pastel paints and other implements she was missing, but didn't want to bother anybody with fetching for her. This part of the day turned out to be the most relaxing for her. The crisp winter air picked up around them and both donned their coats as they stepped out of the town car and hurried into the large coffee shop/art supply store on the corner of Hart and 45th street. Once inside Izayoi speed off toward the paint sectional going for the gold crested Colleen sticks and natural soft fiber brushes.

Emi ordered three double shot cappuccinos to ease the cold; even youkai could experience the harshness of the seasons when it was unbearable for humans. While she sipped on the complementary cinnamon tea the house gave customers she was partially paying attention to a commotion coming from the back of the store, she thought it had to do with employees that were on break, "never mind them…"

She heard Izayoi before she saw her, carrying more than her delicate arms could handle, she unceremoniously dropped her load on the counter for the cashier to ring her purchase up. She heaved herself into the high stool as if she were to mount Aori and smiled into the rim of the steaming cup of cinnamon tea. Emi pushed her playfully, "now tell me, do we owe the store owner for his warehouse, or did you leave some for the others?"

Izayoi playfully shoved back, "why, silly me, I should just buy the store shouldn't I?"

Both girls held onto themselves as they shared a mocking-high society moment and laughed it out. Calling quite an amount of attention to them, even one of the runners for the photographers in the back studio came to see what all the commotion was. He never expected to run into his boss's next discovery.

She had it all, beautiful eyes, long hair, clean complexion. He even squared her between his thumbs and forefingers. _Perfect for a snapshot!´ _He used the auxiliary camera he should always have with him in case a moment like this presented itself and without notice he took a quarter of snapshots of her and her cherry blond haired friend. Her smile radiant, her body language said all the right things, this was it, he was next in line for assistant!

He ran back to his boss and interrupted him mid shot-switch, "…and now Eva do like this, and pert you lips, good, give me more attitude woman!"

"Boss…"

"Turn left Eva! Yes great! More! again Eva!"

"Boss…"

"Turn around Eva! Look back!"

"Boss!"

"This better be worth my time you idiot you just ruined a perfectly mood here! Who do you think you are coming and here and getting between Eva the camera and Me, and…"

"This is my reason boss look…" The runner said showing him a Polaroid photo of Izayoi.

"Le magnifique! Where did you just find such delicate complexion? Such fair skin, she must be Welsh!"

"She looks a hell awful a lot more Asian boss and she´s right outside…"

"She couldn't possibly be Asian she has clear eyes…"

"She is Asian boss, they be speaking their Cantonese outside."

"Olalla! I must see this with my own eyes, take me to her!"

They ran to the front of the store where Emi and Izayoi where still laughing it off, and the photographer ran up to her and moved her face to different angles, shinning a bright square light into her eyes for the whole time.

"Excuse me Sr. I don't really think we know each other, please get your hands off me this instant!" Izayoi demanded, shoving off him and loosing all semblances of happiness and relaxation she was just sharing a moment ago with Emi.

The thin but imposing man retracted back out of Izayoi´s personal space, and Emi didn't waste a moment to put herself between this rude and charlatan-looking human and Iza.

"We are sorry Mr.?"

"Roberto Cuevas, at your service milady…" His brazilian accent spicing the broken english he spoke.

The man said as he proceeded to reach for Emi's hand and kiss the back of it. She flexed her fingers showing off her deadly claws.

"I would think that twice before I tried another stunt like that, got it photo boy?"

"But she is lovely, _la camara_, is in love with her, she would be perfect for the ad I am trying to shoot right now…"

Emi decided he was getting too out of line, her eyes took on an evil glint when she reached over and grabbed the man by his shirt collar "look, maybe you didn't quite understand me since you are not from around here, we´re not interested! So I suggest your runner hands over the camera with her pictures and you disappear, have I made myself clear?"

The tanned, curly black haired, brown eyed man, raised his chin in defiance, "what if I say no?"

Then the driver choose that specific moment to come inside the shop and take over for Emi, he raised the photographer off the ground by the front of his expensive looking shirt and shook him for every vowel he pronounced, "Then I take over and it gets ugly, how does that sound?"

Izayoi´s nice day out was rapidly turning sour; she closed her eyes and grabbed the middle of her brows, "Enough!"

All discussion stopped and everybody looked her way, "I´ll do it"

Emi frowned, were her ears failing due to the cold they were enduring? Did she just hear that Izayoi would willingly step up and let this photographer use her for a shoot? Emi´s jaw went slack.

"Tom-Tom I said put him down, I´ll do it…" The driver looked her way and nodded while he put the now shivering photographer down.

"I supposed I will be paid to model for you, am I right Mr. Cuevas?" He nodded while he took out a checkbook.

"I don't trust you, tell me where you will use my pictures?" He frowned and stared at her, she repeated her question, "Where are you going to use my pictures?"

"Coco Chanel…the new perfume…" She grinned, "ah I see, then that means there is quite a lot of money in play…how do 50,000 sound Emi?"

Emi nodded as she catched on to what Izayoi was trying to pull off, "Why I believe that it sounds mediocre, you are a lot more beautiful than that, try 100,000!"

"You heard her, I want 100,000 in cash and I will happily pose for your Coco Chanel shoot…is it a deal Mr. Cuevas?"

Roberto, grabbed his head, 'that is all the spending money we have with us, that only leaves us with the already paid return tickets, and we would have to check out today, that means we don't use Eva for the shoot and I don't have to pay her…´ he grinned, "It´s a deal Ms.?"

"Tokugawa, Izayoi"

Roberto chose that moment to fall back, his runner catching him, "boss is you O.K.?"

Roberto pointed toward Izayoi, "She is not Asian, she is Japanese, she, she, she is Han Tokugawa's daughter, the one who had never been able to be photographed! No wonder! She is _bellisima_!"

"I agree, and I am sincerely humbled by your appreciation, then that means we can make it 150,000?" Izayoi said as she leaned back on the counter a beautiful smirk adorning her face.

Roberto nodded dumbly as they all proceeded to the back of the establishment towards the studio and watched while for the next two hours Izayoi was fawned upon by the makeup artist and asked to change into an extravagant black lace bustier and matching hosiery along with an embroidered little black dress that barely reached her mid thigh.

Her hair was combed up into twists and curls in the front and left straight in the back, the makeup applied only served to amplify her already exotic amethyst colored eyes, and pouty lips. The only buffer was that Izayoi asked to not reveal her identity.

Roberto didn't want to comply at first stating that she was getting paid an exorbitant amount of money and he should at least be able to take a picture of her face uncovered. After a few minutes of bulling Tom-Tom convinced Mr. Cuevas it would not be a good idea, and so Izayoi managed to pull together a mask that only covered the area around her eyes, forehead and the bridge of her nose, resembling a masquerade from the Victorian era.

The couch in the front of the shop was brought back to where the cameras were placed and Izayoi turned out to be a natural in modeling. Roberto never had to shout out expressions he wanted to see; she only asked for the radio to be turned up and wandered around all the set pausing when he asked her to making all the photos look like a natural meeting between the youthful Coco Chanel model and the camera seem like a walk in the park. All in all, the pictures turn out great.

Emi decided she would use a few that had been taken as tests with the Polaroid camera to her advantage and rapidly snuck them into her purse, '_Maybe I can play a game of cat and mouse at home with these also…'_

After the shoot Emi and Tom-Tom received a leather bag with stacks of money the runner had gone to fetch while the shoot was in process. They did not let anybody leave until everything was counted and summed 150,000.00 real dollars.

Mr. Cuevas asked for a contact number in case he would need her again for a Chanel campaign Izayoi declined and headed out of the establishment with her purchased art goods and her purse in the other. The drive back to the mansion was a quiet one until the car pulled up into the drive way. "Nobody mentions this to Toga; I will look for a way to tell him, do you understand?" Emi asked sternly.

Both Izayoi and Tom-Tom nodded. Then the maids appeared and started unloading the bags from the trunk, while Izayoi and Emi went inside. Neither of them saw a black car that managed to follow them.


End file.
